Incapability
by Dark Hope Assassin
Summary: Stranded on an alien planet after her kingdom's destruction, Bulma finds herself homeless and in despair seeks refuge in the Saiyajin Empire. How can she forgive Vegeta since he killed her people and proves he's still incapable of loving her...or is he?
1. Ch01: Agony

**_Damaged_**

_Chapter One: Agony_

_Time passed slow..._

_Painfully slow..._

_The years passed by, slowly one after another, emphasizing on each minute of torture, on every second of agony. _

_When did my life turn into a living Hell? When did I begin feeling so empty inside?... When did I start being a shell?... Since I was little?... Since I wanted to become more than anyone or anything could ever be?... To become smarter so people respect me more?... To make them envious of my power, beauty **and** mind?... To make males want me?... To be paid attention to no matter where, no matter how exactly?... When did all of this begin?... When did I turn into this living dead person that I represent now?..._

_Maybe you'd like to know what happened in the five years that have dragged themselves along the lines?... Let me tell you my story after I found out what was to get me a heart attack, probably._

**Dreaming comes so easily... Cause it's all that I've known... **

_As you could have guessed, after being so determined, my parents wed me to Yamcha. And, yes, we are still together. Why? I'm a Queen, he's a King. Our land needs a Queen and King. Our land needs new rulers. I won't let my people down because of my personal problems with my husband._

_Unlike you would probably presume, he did not wish to force me into anything, nothing at all. He did not even sleep in the same room as me the night after our wedding. I felt horrible that day. But I knew it was for the best. He knew I didn't want him, not the way he would like me to, and probably never would. I could learn with time to love him, as a friend and a husband, as I did before, but I would never be **in** love with him... I won't let myself fall into the same trap again. Did I say again?... Silly me..._

**True love is a fairy tale... I'm damaged, so how would I know?...**

_How could I ever think that I could've fallen in love with someone?... But was that real love, even if I did? Did I not get what I wanted from him?... I wanted to try how this works, why everyone likes it so much... Yes, he was quite good, but I did not feel anything so special about it... I cannot understand people, probably. My mind was never clear. It will never be, presumably. _

_But how could I know?... I'm not a normal person..._

_So, anyway... As I said, I got married to Yamcha. He's "my" King now. He has taken over most of the boring issues in the Board. He still acts so very kind to me, as if I'm... No, wait, I **am** his Queen... Oh... Well, you know what I wanted to tell you. Even though he knows that I don't want him and don't want to want him, he still does his best at pleasing my every whim. Not that I have many. I learnt not to be so complying all the time. I sound really annoying when I whine..._

**I'm scared... and I'm alone... **

_You can easily say that all my mental turmoil made a person out of me. No, I do not say that I did not have a character before I met Him. No. But I did not know many things. He helped me realize some things that I would've never figured out on my own. He helped me understand myself... And now... Now I'm feeling so alone... Even along my friends, my husband, my parents, my subjects... I'm still so very alone... They do not understand me the way I understand myself. They do not wish to understand me as long as their own happiness is at bay. No one cares for the other if their own well-being is not endangered. When it comes to surviving, everyone begins acting so sweet and caring so they would be accepted by the other's protective wing._

_People are such manipulating creatures... They do not care for one another... Egoistical beings... But that is what Nature needs them to be for them to continue their own kind, isn't it?... Selfish... Alone... Scared... Doomed never to know true happiness... Doomed forever to stay in the shadow of their own selfishness... Not to know how to give without expecting anything back..._

_I tasted of betrayal, even though I knew it was coming. I gave my everything, knowing all too well that I could never expect anything in return. Hope dies last, they say..._

**I'm ashamed and I need for you to know,...**

_I revived a race that should've stayed dead... I stirred a nightmare that should've never awakened again... Why did I do this?... What made me think that the Saiya-jins have changed even one bit from what I have read in the books?... What made me think that they are not the barbaric creatures that they were described as in the ancient tomes?... **What**!?... The fact that I fell in love with their Prince and I thought he would love me back? Or that at least I hoped he would want to stay with me?... That **this** time he would say a "good-bye"? Call my name once in his entire life!?... **WHAT!?**_

_I'm so ashamed of myself... I'm ashamed of my scare of rejection... I'm ashamed of being stupid enough to want a murderer with such a lust for blood to stay with me for the rest of my life... How could I have been so naive? How could I be so stupid? I gave him everything I could and for what?... I'm so very ashamed of myself..._

_But if there is one thing I don't regret, that is sleeping with him. You think me crazy?... Well, I do know that I am. But that does not mean that the fact I don't regret the stupidest thing of all above makes me crazy. Or does it?... But... I wanted this to happen. I'm sure that all along, I wished for this moment. I wished and hoped that he would pay me attention in such a way as to wish me as well. He can deny it all he wants to if I ask him, or anything. But I felt it, that moment, the moment that lasted an eternity for me and imprinted on my memory... He wanted me, I wanted him. And that was the outcome of the two things._

**I didn't say all the things I wanted to say but you can't take back what you keep taking away cause I feel you.... Feel you near me...**

_I wish I had more time with him after that... I wish I could tell him everything that lied as a burden on my shoulders so much time, all the need, all the want... Everything... All my thoughts, all my fears... Everything that I have felt for all my life after meeting him, after getting to know him. He would've probably not listen to a word that I said, but at least I would know that I tried, that I could be with a clear mind, free of "what if"s... _

_No,... My mind was never and never will be clear. With each passing year it only mists more... And finally, there will be probably nothing left to get misted... Everything will only be a blur to me... Everything will be behind my back, as it is now... The moment I die will be the day I will get free from the agony, from the mental terror I endure every day... _

_Do you think it's easy to live with the thought that the destruction of the whole Universe will be your fault?... That all of your friends and allies will die only because you were stupid enough to fall for the current King of the Saiya-jin race that killed them!? Do you think that my conscience is clear!? Do you think I don't regret the fact that I wanted to make one person happy and doom entire races!? Do you think looking at myself in the mirror doesn't make me want to spit at the face in front of me?! Do you think living with myself is easy!!!? _

**The feeling comes so painfully... And it chills to the bone...**

_After getting married to Yamcha, I changed. I changed a lot. And it was not just the fact that I was a married woman then. I guess I just... grew up at that point. I was no longer the whiny girl who always did her best to be noticed. I do not need to play harder than I am... _

_I began being more of a woman. I began taking care of what I look like. I began choosing more proper dressing around the Palace, even though the people in here know me very well. I began caring about many thing around myself, began noticing things I never did before. Like, how ChiChi always puts my pillow in the left corner of my bed, how Ariane always takes care of the soldiers' right arms first, how Goku always begins with his rice at lunch, how Radditz always kisses the necklace on his neck first thing in the morning..._

_But due to the pain my mind is suffering, I guess I won't be able to love anyone ever again... Once I had a taste of the poison, I do not wish to suffer from it again, because this time it will surely push me over the edge. I rarely smile sincerely anymore, never laugh... I made a mask better than my one before; constructed a shell that no one would ever penetrate again... My refuge from the nightmare that waited to bite all of my bones, one after another, if I show even the smallest part of the real me outside of it..._

**Many won't get close to me... I'm damaged as I'm sure you know...**

_As you could guess, Vegeta's Empire rose from the ashes. It had been granted rebirth and none of the Saiya-jins planned to let the Empire fall any time soon. Conquering, destroying, slaving... People suffering, people in pain, people at the mercy of the Saiya-jin no Ou... People that couldn't defend themselves against a creature so unique as a Super Saiya-jin... A creature that no one even in their worst nightmares had ever seen..._****

**There is nothing before my soul and into this fear...**

_But there is no immortality. Empires rise only to bloom and to fall, with nothing but the myths about the great years of tyrany to remind people of them, of the scar they left on a person's mind. _****

**Forgiveness for a man who is stronger...**

_I wish I could forgive Vegeta for what he'd done to me... I wish I could go back these years ago, when I was a foolish girl to believe in him, in his "good side"..._

**I was just a little girl, can't go back...**

_I was young and foolish, indeed... _

**I can't go back...**

_I wish I could get rid of this feeling that my whole body is crumbling... That my mind is degrading... That my head is under a huge pressure that makes my skull crack... I want to stop feeling how my whole being is convulsing in mental pain as I lay on the side in my bed... I wish I could stop wanting to tear my hair off and scream for my dear sanity..._

_Why do I feel this?... Why must I endure this?... Is it some kind of a test?... Is someone playing with me, with my life, with my emotions?!... What did I do to deserve this?... Isn't everyone allowed to make mistakes?... Ones bigger than others..._

**I must go...**

"Your Majesty!" The door cracked open fast as the woman on the bed quickly shut closed the book and pushed it together with a pen under her pillow with magnificent speed that anyone could be envious of. "I am so sorry to interrupt you, your Majesty, but you have guests waiting for you in the Throne Room. They insist for you to join King Yamcha--"

"Listen, Krillin, I'm not in the mood to meet with **anyone**. Tell them that, and inform them that I **like** to be told before anyone waltzes into my Palace, okay?" She hissed while taking the small strand of lavender hair behind her delicate snow-white ear.

"Bulma, you don't understand! These guys are--" The guard tried again, only to be interrupted for a second time the day.

"Did you not hear what I said!? I do not wish to be disturbed anymore! Tell Yamcha to deal with them, or whatever you wish to! Just leave!" She yelled at him, standing angrily up from her bed having the good intention of having a nice long hot shower to clear her mind off the topic of Vegeta that kept swimming up on the surface of her mind.

The woman heard foot steps, presuming that the insistent man had finally obeyed her order only to hear a strangely familiar chuckle behind her back as she reached out for the bathroom door handle. No... It couldn't be... Her mind was only playing tricks on her... It was a lie... She was mistaking this voice for someone else's, she had to be...

"Is that how you welcome old... "**friends**", woman?..."

The Queen turned slowly around, not able to do any sharp movements. She held her last hopes up that her mind was registering the information it received wrong, only to find................

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**Author's Note**: Yup, you guessed right! This is the end of the chapter! Mwahaha!! Ain't I evil? Will have my beta-reader check the chapter for mistakes later.

_Review to have next chapter up sooner! :)_

_Love you all! Yours sincerely forever, Hope._


	2. Ch02: The Good Old Days

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Two: The Good Ol' Days_

Bulma glared deeply at the person, if he could be called that, in front of her as she got her composure back. She was not going to let him know how surprised and utterly disgusted she was by his sudden arrival, nor did she plan to even pretend to be nice.

"I see no reason to waste my politeness on such an ingreat of a bastard such as you, "almighty Saiya-jin King". And last time I checked, you were not part of my family nor my servants, therefor I do not understand what gave you the thought you were permitted to walk around my Palace freely as if you're at home." Her words held no mercy for her ex-lover. Nor did she ever want them to hold such a thing ever again. After what damage he had caused her, there was no reason for her to be polite, not one.

However, the person that stood in front of her that she would identify as Vegeta, the ex-Saiya-jin Prince whose race she had revived five years ago in, obviously, a fit of madness, was completely different from what she remembered him as. He had no longer the boyish features. His chin seemed to be sharper, his features roughened from all the battles he must've led after the last time she met him. His armor was different as well, probably a part of his King stuff, or whatever... If not the hair and his typical arrogant smirk, she could've not recognized him. There was something much more different about his aura as well, the way he fill in the room... As if he was truly the Ultimate being that he claimed he was...

Little did the smaller creature know that the Saiya-jin no Ou was having the same thoughts about her as well. She looked like a woman now, unlike what her character allowed her when she was a teenager. She seemed to have become wiser... Not the way she tried all those years ago... The smirk twisted over the Saiya-jin's face again. Ah, yes, she finally found out how stupid she had been acting all this time...

"I'm so **happy** that you have not changed your attitude even one bit, woman." He laughed forcively at his sarcastic remark causing the older man behind himself chuckle as well, finally drawing the lavender haired Queen's attention to himself.

He seemed so much more like Vegeta, yet it was obvious that he was a quarter of a century older than the Saiya-jin King. Plus the goatee that covered his chin. The frown on Bulma's face deepened. So, he dragged his father with him? What could be so important for him to deal in her Kingdom so that hewould drag his father along? Nevertheless that the stubborn man would give in to the current King's demand. On a second thought, she guessed he had no choice since his son was the strongest being of all.

'Strongest'... He was probably so full of himself by now. Even more arrogant than what he was before... Powerful, merciless... A complete asshole. How could she posibly love someone like that, give her own body to this person?! Could he even be considered a "person" still?! Did he not just exist to make others suffer?! What kind of pleasure did that grant him?! Was it so pleasing? What was that made it so fun???

"My attitude has changed a lot, but to such a bastard as you I will only give my worst." She hissed between her teeth taking a step further to the Saiya-jin who was looking insolently right in her eyes with a winning smirk. What the fuck was wrong with him?! What was he so proud about? The fact that he completely broke her heart and threw it back at her? The fact that she was no longer a person yet a living shell, something dead, without a soul that just moves around with no idea of what was it possibly existing for?!

"Still acting quite cocky, aren't we, onnawoman?" He chuckled as he took a step towards her as well. He bent a little closer to her so their noses were nearly touching. His hot breath teased her soft flesh as the simple as it was caused another wave of bad memories wash over her entire being. This had to be a nightmare, a mere nightmare that would vanish as soon as she opened her eyes in the morning. He wasn't here, he couldn't be. And what business did he have there anyway!? She was so eager to kick him out already. "I would really prefer you screaming in an **other** way rather than this..." He chuckled as her face paled. She understood very well what he was talking about.

"How dare you..." The woman seethed between her clenched teeth as a vein was popping out on her head as her anger rose dramatically. How could he act so insolent around her?! How could he be so cruel to her after all she had done for him?! Not to mention she had not seen the littlest bit of greatefulness after the biggest mistake that she had made and could possibly make in her life?! That son of a bitch!!! "Get **out** of my room! I do not want to see your fucking face again! Don't show up anymore! I'm sick of you already!" She screamed at him and attempted to push him back.

As could be expected, to no avail. Vegeta still smirked down at her, as if wanting to tell her how insignificant her life was to him. The damned bastard... He thought so important of himself... He was so full of the position he was in that it was utterly repulsing... He made everyone feel this way, she could tell now. It was granting him some kind of sick pleasure that she did not wish to find out what felt like.

"Stop whoring around, boy! If you want your cute little bitch you should've told me to stay home. I do not wish to participate in any kind of watching of what you two are doing here..." The man behind him crossed his arms not realizing what dangerous grounds he was entering with his statements.

Bulma had the good intention to make that fucking monkey suffer for what he just said, but Vegeta beat her to it as his head whipped back at the direction of his father's location.

"I do not recall wanting your opinion on anything, old bag. And watch what you're saying or I might decide that you are not needed anymore, you insolent fuck." He hissed back and turned his head back to his woman. A slight smirk covered the man's lips. Oh, yes, she was still his, he could smell himself on her... Was she not married to that weakling now? So she refused to sleep with him, eh? His smirk became bigger. How could she want to have anything with that weakling after having someone such as him?! Could he blame her? He laughed mentally. No, of course not, he was a fucking deity in everything he did.

"Just tell me what you want and leave." The Queen moaned out as she moved to her mirror. She looked lazily at herself, feeling how with every passing minute she was sulking deeper in her depression. Deep down she always hoped that once they reunited again, they would act more civil to one another, that they would want things to be the same again. Even if he showed the smallest bit of greatfulness or sympathy, regret that he disappeared like that without saying a word to her for the past five years... She had been such a fool as to believe that he, of all people existent, could change. How foolish of her to want him back again, after everything that happened after her arrival back home... 'Home'... She no longer felt home here anymore... No longer felt comforted anywhere... She wanted to runaway, run as far as her feet could take her... Being a Queen was such a self-less duty...

Everything she did, she did because of her people. They were the only ones that still believed in her. The only ones that trusted her and her judgement still as blindly as ever, if not even more. The power came with big responsibility, and the thought of it was driving her even crazier, if possible. She needed to be everything they expected, or did not even begin to imagine yet. She had to be the greatest of all, the wisest of all... She had to take dicisions that could make her even more regretful than she was...

And she had been doing her job perfectly up till now, and planned to 'keep up her good work'. People loved her and she loved them back. She liked to walk among them, redressed as a mere ordinary woman, just to know what problems were bugging them, what she could do for them, what they thought about her and her husband, what rumors were spread or even how they felt and so on... Bulma wondered how a mind as misted as hers could function so well about politics... Maybe it just ran in her blood?...

"Don't become insolent as well, woman, my toletance is **not** endless, do not mistake me for you dog of a husband." Vegeta snapped back at her, making her eyes glare at him from the reflection in the mirror.

"**Your** tolerance?! **Your tolerance!?** How dare you act like that around my castle, you son of a bitch!? You will threat me with respect, or I'll order my guards to throw you out!" She yelled as hard as she could, making the older man flinch. How did this woman reach such a high-pitched level of her voice? Did she even start to realize how annoying she actually was when she did that? Vegeta seemed not to pay any attention to her tone rather than her statement.

"Yes, woman, **my** tolerance. I am still quite stronger than you and all of your stupid guards put together. So I suggest you stop acting so powerful and just do as I say before I decide that I wish no longer to argue with you." He stated utterly annoyed while crossing his massive arms over his chest.

"No, Vegeta, you are **not** stronger than all my guards put together, if you must know." Little did he know that she wasn't bluffing. Do you remember that Radditz and Goku are still a part of their best friend's life? "And I do not wish to take any part of anything that you must do here. What makes you think I would do anything else for you, you dumb ass?!" She stepped in front of him, glaring daggers at his eyes.

"You don't need to bluff when you're so scared of me, woman, I will take no pleasure in destroying such a weak civilization such as yours. And why shouldn't you give me what I want? You always did, no matter what I answered you with." He chuckled coldly, watching as her frown faltered. He was right and it stung her heart. He was completely and utterly right... No matter how hard he pushed her away, she still recovered, still wanted to help him, still wanted to make him feel good once in his life... She had grown over herself being like this. She no longer wished to please him in any way, but he had become even more complexed since the last time she had seen him, she couldn't tell what could possibly piss him off.

"Well, **my dear**," she began sarcastically emphasizing on the way she referred to him, "I could say that you have not missed me from the rumors that are being spread..." She grinned wickedly, turning around to face him with a dangerous glint in her eyes that hinted that there was nothing good coming at him... Vegeta's eye brow arched up.

"Rumors?..." He repeated, his eye twitching slightly. The grin on the girl's face recovered again after the confused expression she received.

"Why, of course. I hear you are to be wed to Marron, Yamcha's dumb ass cousin. I am quite sure you have noted how much exactly she resembles me..."

"Don't think too highly of yourself, woman. I will not tolerate your bullshit much longer..." The Saiya-jin threated between his clenched teeth. Could it be? Could it **possibly** be? Did she touch a nerve just now?

"Now don't tell me you miss sweet little me already, Vege-chan..." She cooed, reaching out for his cheek.

"Do not toy with my patience, woman. I have been ignorant of your insolence long enough, I let you and your stupid little mud ball of a planet bloom all those years. Don't make me think further that my decision was completely wrong." He hissed out loud enough only for her to hear.

Bulma froze. What did he just say?...

"I want the fucking Dragon Radar. I came for it. Now give it, or I'll take it forcively." The Saiya-jin no Ou stood his ground, looking directly in her eyes as his eyes darkened in anger. Why did she have to say these things?! Why did she need to remind him how wrong he was with everything he did? Why did she have to be so much like... like herself?! There was something that he would never want to admit, something about her that made his heart flutter whenever he did a 'bad thing'. It made his long-frozen muscle clench whenever she gave him that look. Yes, indeed, she had been broken. Her eyes held no passion for anything anymore, not even for him. There was despair in them... All that was left was just despair... A need for deliverance... A deliverance that would never come...

No! That had not just been him that thought those things. It was the weakling being that she had created while around him. That was not the Vegeta everyone knew and feared and should forever cower whenever they saw. It was the shadow of his past that he had left behind his back in the time, a past that he wished not to remember. He had been scarred by Freeza, but the scar the woman left in his life wouldn't vanish as well... Her imprint would never be shown to any living creature, never. It was a part of him that no longer existed... A part that he killed the moment he met his father again...

Ah, yes, his father... The bastard still thought of himself powerful. He had to beat the old geezer to a pulp several times to remind him where he stood now and that times have changed drastically. He was no longer the small Prince that had to obey his father's every whim, or the trophy Freeza loved to toy with.

But, if what he thought just now was true, why was he here now, at this very moment?...

"No." The word passed her lips slowly, for what seemed like a moment frozen in time. What did she just say?

"What did you say?..." He muttered just as slowly, barely believing his ears. Did she just refuse him to do something he wanted. She seemed as if she was thinking the very same thing at the moment as well.

Bulma stood still watching in a point at the far off wall behind Vegeta. She felt as if she wasn't in her own body and that she was looking at herself like a side-watcher. What was she saying? What was she doing?... What was he doing here?... Why was he here?... Did he seriously believe she would act like a good little dog still?... Did he seriously think that after all he did, she would still be as obedient as ever?... Was he **a complete idiot!?!!**

"I won't give it to you." She stated sternly.

"Stop testing my patience and give me the damned thing." He insisted, still not believing what his ears were registering. Yet the stubborn woman continued to look at the wall behind him, not paying any attention to what he was saying.

"I'm not testing anything... Vanish..." She muttered quietly, her eyes mesmerized by the charms of the snow-white wall.

"How dare you talk to me like that, woman?!" His temper flared drastically. "I am the-"

"I know very well who you are. I made most of you... You owe me plenty, and all I want of you is to vanish... Simple as that... Simple enough even for you to understand..." She spoke softly but very convinced. Vegeta's eyes bulged out. Was she really saying what he thought she did? How dare she?!

He was going to throw another fit when he stood still as well. His eyes averted from her and a slight sigh escaped his lips. She was right... He owed her... Big time... Huge time... Vanish?... Was that really what she wanted?... He knew they weren't quite close anymore, after all that happened... But vanish completely?... Anger showed on his face again, even though it was directed mostly at himself.

"I don't need your fucking help anyway. Stupid onna... Let's go, old man. I don't want to look the wench's ugly wrinkled face any longer." The Saiya-jin spat and stormed out of the room, closely followed by his silent father.

Bulma kept her stance after the door slammed and even a while after it. Her thoughts began flooding her head again. She managed it... She... She saw him, talked to him... Heard him say what he did... And still managed to push him away... She finally overcame herself, didn't she?...

A lonely tear slid down the woman's face... Nothing changed, indeed... They were never going to act civil to one another, no matter what she did... She had to accept that already, or she would never get rid of her guilt... The guilt that she could do more, that she could take more of him, only to manage to keep him by her side for even a day longer...

What made him so irresistable to her?... What gravitated her to him so much?... Why did she have to endure this, even a second more?... How could she keep existing like this?... Was this life?!...

With a sigh, the woman collapsed on the bed, her eyes completely dry now. No... She was not going to cry for him... No... She wasn't going to crawl to him even again... She wasn't the little girl anymore... She couldn't go back in time, no matter if she wished and how hard she did...

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Vegeta stormed towards a destination even unknown to himself. He had to do something, he had to find an option. No matter what the woman said, he had come so far for the radar and a radar he was going to get.

"My, my, boy, did you put a scene in there..." His father chuckled behind him as the spiky-haired younger man kept looking around the corridors. If he knew the woman, something should give him a hint, at least... A hint where it could be hidden...

"Shut it, old man, I don't want to hear any of your bull-shit right now." He snapped back and noticed some movement down the hall. Soon he registered the bald guard that had let him and his father inside. A sly grin slipped on his face. Well, maybe it was not that bad after all...

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A/N: So, there you have it. I hope it isn't much disappointing, but I did my best... Bulma and Vegeta reunited, yey! But maybe not quite the way you would've liked them to. Lol. And I want to sincerely thank you all of you who have reviewed! All of your wonderful, very wonderful reviews were what made me write a chapter when I'm not even at home! I'm writing from an internet club! I love you guys so much! Thank you for everything!

_Review to have the next chapter out soon as well! :)_


	3. Ch03: The Day Bulma Briefs Stood Still

**_Damaged_**

_Chapter Three: The Day Bulma Briefs Stood Still..._

Bulma lay on her bed and stared at her snow-white ceiling... How much time did she dream about this moment?... The moment that he would be back to Earth, caring enough to visit her?... How much time had it been?... All five years, probably?... And what for?... Just to say "hi" and disappear?... Just to come and want another thing from her yet again?... Did he not take enough already?... What kind of a sick bastard would continue to bug a broken creature such as her after all the mental terror she had to endure?... Did it really make him feel powerful by making her feel so weak?

Was he not the one that always reminded her how weak she was both mentally and physically?... Did he need to take everything from her, even her last piece of humanity?... What did she do to deserve such a behaviour from him?... She didn't give him her heart, her soul?... She didn't give him her home, his own back?... Had she not provided him adventure? A break from Freeza? Or had she perhaps not given her own body to him? **What more did she have to do, damn it!?! WHAT?!?!**

'I do not want him...' She assured herself. Tears would not come to her eyes. They have ran dry. She had cried them dry for the last four years. She had been pitying herself most of that time... She tried to act tough, as she had been doing in her childhood... Trying to be strong in front of her parents, her subjects, her friends... But they always knew that there was something she would not tell even ChiChi... Something that had cut her so deep that she wouldn't even want to admit it again even to herself... Something that made her smile fake, no matter how happy she appeared to be... Something that had taken her ability to be sincerely happy...

Yes, she had been in denial for four years. Yes, she regretted even given birth to. She wondered why did a genius act so stupid... Out of love?... Was that love? Could it be called that?... Did she even know the meaning of love?... Was not love what made you feel lighter, that the whole world is beautiful and that you would never feel sad again?... Why was that turmoil then? Why was the pain inside? Why was it that she felt empty now, completely devastated by her own feelings as well?...

She felt betrayed... By herself... By Vegeta... By her parents... By Yamcha... She betrayed herself... She failed herself... What did she have left now?... Nothing?... Her looks?... Even her body was not hers... She had nothing left, nothing sincerely hers... With a sigh she stood up and walked to her mirror. The same empty azure eyes that met her every day when she woke up and looked at the glassy object on her wall... The same mental torture evident through all those years back...

Shaking her head, she decided that pitying herself would not help her now... Not ever... She decided that she had to take her mind off of things. She needed a break. A big one...

A smile krept its way on the girl's lips. Some time in space with her best friends would be the best decision she could take right now.

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Vegeta and his father walked slowly up to where the guards were talking to one another. All noise ceased once they were completely noticed by the men in the corner. The servants saluted them when a sly smirk took control over the Saiya-jin no Ou's face. Yes... They would be good little dogs to him... On the other hand, they did not have another choice, now did they?...

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Bulma walked slowly down the corridor, her head hung low to the floor as she was once again absorbed by her thoughts. How long had it been since she was last out to space?... Since her last visit to Marron?

And, yet again, her train of thought went into a completely different direction from what she was thinking previously.

Marron... That bitch that thought she was so original by taking her looks... They looked so alike now that Marron lost some weight. But so did Bulma, actually... She didn't become skinny, but she was... Well, lighter. The mental torture that she had been enduring all this time made her body weaken, she had left her training behind her. She needed to keep her mind off her things, so she had to find some real work.

Marron had taken her apearance. Fact by fact, feature by feature. At least her hair was still teal... The little sneaky minx had taken not only her appearance, but her man as well... Her man... It sounded so unfamiliar to her now... Once she really thought of Vegeta as hers... But that had been a long time ago, when her life was easier. She didn't want him, she assured herself. She did not need him. Let Marron have him, since she couldn't live on her own...

No, don't understand the Earth Queen wrongly. She knew well that Marron was not a bad person. She was too naive to be bad. She was just so... innocent that it pissed her off. Yes, she had talked to the girl for endless hours after Vegeta vanished from her life five years ago. The girl was probably the only one that didn't know about her affair with Vegeta...

What startled the Queen was the fact that her people didn't judge her because of the fact that she had been with the Saiya-jin... They have taken that fact really lightly and didn't say anything on the topic. With a sigh, the lavender haired woman wondered how did it become so that only her people trusted in her own judgement...

She really needed to be with her friends right now. All those waves of memories that she did not want to recover were washing over her, making her mind agonize in need to be freed from the visions that it had been rejecting so long. It was still trying to resist the urge to command the woman's legs to run as fast as they could. Run down the corridors, ask the servants whether the Saiya-jin King has left already and if not, to go there and talk to him, convince him to stay, tell him that it would die in its owner's head if he left...

No!... She didn't need him! Bulma assured herself yet again with a violent shake of her head. No! She could make it! She was going to be free! One day, she was sure she would! She wouldn't be held back by all those mental restraints... She wouldn't have to wonder why was she so stupid... She would get over herself, one way or another. She knew that she could do it!

But a little voice in the back of her head shouted at her with its unheard voice that she was broken... Her mind was shut and her heart was damaged... Yelled at her to realize the fact that she could do nothing to get over her pain... Getting over it was not something she could do on her own... It was something that she needed the help of a husband or a friend to do...

Slightly fastening her pace, the Queen made her way to where ChiChi's place in the kitchen was. Lunch was soon to be served, so the girl had to take care of her mistress' meal. Bulma allowed only ChiChi to ready her meals. God, if you tasted how ChiChi cooked compared to any other cook, you'd also want only she to make your meals!

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Vegeta walked pleased down the corridor with a convinced smirk on his face. He had used some force to get the information he needed from the bald body guard. Body guard... Had not that duty brought him to know the woman?... Yes, indeed. As much as he hated to admit and would never voice his thought, the only thing that he really wanted to make Freeza suffer because of was the fact that he met him with Bulma... That shouldn't have happened... It was probably a cosmic joke... How did it happen so that the woman hated him completely right now?... Was he not as irresistable as ever?... How could she say no to him for something as important as the job that he had to have done on this mudball of a planet? But on the other hand, she had no idea what he wanted to do...

Stepping faster with bigger steps down the straight corridor, the Saiya-jin King frowned. The bald idiot did not know much, but it was enough for him to find what he was looking for.

The Dragon Ball radar.

X X X X X X X X X X X X

A few hours later, Vegeta and his impatient father were standing in front of the small orbs made of strange orange glass with the red stars inside... One star, two star, three star, four star, five star, six star, seven star... All of the Dragon Balls were there, glowing slightly in an easing golden light. The Saiya-jin ruler grinned wickedly. He remembered faintly how he knew nothing of Ancient Japanese once upon a time and he had no idea what the woman wished for. However, now the language was like a motherly one to him. He knew much more than when he did when he was younger. Five years changed his life drastically, so much was sure.

Not in the mood to think about his current state of power and statute in the Universe, the man stretched his arms out and called out,

-"I summon thee, Great Shen Long, Eternal Dragon of the Seven Earth Dragon Balls!"-

Lightning struck somewhere in the sky, which darkned as if night came over in the meantime. The Dragon Balls glowed stongly and with a slight explosion of golden light, a huge ray snaked in the sky as the creature materialized in front of the stunned former Saiya-jin King. Vegeta smirked as he observed his father's open mouthed expression from the side of his eye. Yes, his father had been a great leader of his people, but he probably never had time to pay some attention to the beauty of some things, never had the time to see something as majestic as this Dragon...

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Bulma narrowed her eyes as she talked to Goku in the Winter Gardens. She saw from the huge windows how the sky darkened in an istant, the inky blackness of the night covering the whole area.

"Hey, what happened to the sun?!" The boy shouted in surprise as he turned around to face the window as well, scratching his head in thought.

"Never mind that, Goku." She decided that she had plenty of time to wonder and regret if something happened right now. She needed her break, exactly because she was wondering and regretting far too many things nowadays! "Are you coming with us? I would be really pleased if you join us..." She trailed off, thinking how happy ChiChi would be that she would take Goku with them. The Queen wasn't stupid, she could clearly see the sparks that flew between the two of them. She wasn't blind, after all.

"Well, you **are** my Queen, Bulma, so you really don't need to-" He began, but his now slightly angered friend cut him off.

"I do not wish to **command** you about these things, Goku! If you want to come with me, do so. If you don't, then don't! I don't want you being there just because I **demanded** so!"

The strange haired Saiya-jin boy looked confused at her. She had been like that since... Well, since Vegeta left... She didn't like to order people around, even though she was the Queen of them all and was clearly above them. She wasn't that kind of a person, she always said when he asked. But the boy knew there was something more to it, whether his friend admitted it to him or not. He could see it in her eyes. Eyes, that had once sparkled with life, were now completely still and...Dead...

"You didn't understand me. I wanted to say that it's my duty to watch over you as a body guard, but a break on the sunny beaches of Ikaria-sei sounds completely irresistable." The frown on Bulma's face vanished and a small smile krept its way to replace it. "Do you have any idea how delicious ChiChi can cook with ikarian food?! Oh, boy, this is going to be **so** fun! I must go tell Radditz!" He exclaimed and bowed in respect to his Queen, excusing himself to go retrieve his brother for the trip.

Bulma said they were taking off immediatelly, once they got everything ready. And almost everything was in the ship they were taking off with.

The woman had decided to take a small crew of her people as well. Most of the royal servants. They deserved a break as well. However, her mother and father had preferred to stay and have the Palace to themselves. Yamcha was on his home planet to visit his parents. He did that often nowadays. He said that right now they really needed him. Bulma understood him well, whether he was telling the truth or was just lying to leave her alone to her thoughts for some time.

Yamcha was really an understanding person when he wanted to be. She had the feeling that she made him grow up as well. Well, what would you know? Her own problems made others realize some things... At least there was **something** good about the whole situation...

Shaking her head, she went to pack her final bags. They wouldn't stay long, but being a Queen, she had to look representive. After all, who wanted a Queen that didn't take care of her body or did not have proper clothes as such?

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

-"Do you have a wish?"- The Dragon Asked as the Saiya-jin King stood in front of him.

Thoughts about immortality had often crossed the man's mind when he was younger. He wanted to become immortal so he would be able to kill Freeza and would stand again no matter how hard beaten he became. But if he was immortal, that meant only that he wouldn't die. Never would die. Yet people didn't think about the consequences of such a wish. If you do not die physically, you die mentally every time a huge blow gets connected with your body. You could be immortal, but not invincible. Right the opposite. You become more vulnerable to pain, as it is the only thing you can feel. You will live forever, but it will be a life that you will live completely alone. Centuries, thousands of years, millions of them... All alone. People will be born and will die by you and you will wonder why did you have to become immortal... You will be able to visit every single part of the Galaxy, the whole Universe even. You will have the opportunity to make everything yours. And what for? Knowledge? Entertainment? How will you be able to keep yourself busy for an **eternity**? It was something he did not wish to know. Yes, a longer life, probably. He lived longer than many other creatures in the Universe. But immortality?...

-"Are you able to resurrect a whole Planet, almighty Shen Long?"- Vegeta was not familiar with such a sly tone anymore. He did not need to act so courteously around anyone. He was the strongest being in the Universe, why should he?! But he knew better than to pick up a fight with a creature such as an Eternal Dragon...

-"Which planet do you wish to resurrect?"- The deep throaty voice of the Dragon boomed in his head. Strangely, he heard it directly in it. No sound seemed to enter his ears. Well, it was only to be expected. How can a Dragon actually speak in your opinion?

Taking a breath in, the male formed the words in his head and spoke slowly, making sure that no mistake was made. There was no place for mistakes anymore. This time everything needed to be set perfect. Maybe he should've told her?... She would hate him even more if that was possible when she found out what happened to her... Shaking his head he tried to concentrate. No, she would only get in his way if she...survived...

-"I want you to resurrect the planet Namek. That is my wish."-

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A swishing sound was heard as a sliding lid opened over some sort of a metal incubator. Another noise was heard and a second one opened. Two mid-tall figures with shoulder length hair stood in the dark room, grinning wickedly at the person in front of them.

"Finally..." Was the only word that passed the old man's lips...

X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Vegeta and his father had blasted off the planet a few minutes ago. They were already out of the Earth's gravity as he noticed that another ship had set off. He couldn't see clearly, but he was sure that this was no Earth ship...

"What did you tell that Dragon?" His father stopped his train of thought rudely, having him miss the second ship that took off in an opposite direction of theirs and the strange-looking capsule.

"It is none of your concern." The King threatened and collapsed in his commander's seat. Ah, yes. He commanded everyone around here... Everything was his... Nothing could take this power from him. Not even Bardock's blabbering could darken his mood. Or so he tried to convince himself.

"Do you believe in what Bardock says?" The older man continued with his questionary.

"Of course not!" He bellowed at his father, being more rude than what he intended at first. He relaxed as he realized where he was and set his head on his elbow, that was supported by the arm of the chair he was sitting in. "Of course not..." He repeated quietly to himself, looking out the window in the pitch-blackness of the vast Universe. Of course he didn't...

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Bulma and all of her crew were already on board. The people had been thanking her for taking them with her on her holiday. She liked it when they acted to friendly with her. She loved those people, and she knew they loved her back. Every single one of them had known her since she had been a baby. She practically grew up with them.

With a final wave of her hand towards her parents, the Queen got on board of her ship and a grin stretched her lips. She was going to have a great problem-less holiday, with nothing else but fun to worry about. She needed such in a long time now.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

The ship blasted in space. One of the dark figures with shoulder length hair nodded at the other, who looked questioningly at the elder man. He grinned wickedly as well and nodded at both of them, causing their own smirks to grow into grins.

Both creatures opened the hatch and climbed on the speeding capsule, looking towards the blue planet that they were leaving. Their chuckling echoed forever in the history of the planet Earth as their stretched hands sent huge flying blasts towards it... And that were the last things that the Earthlings would ever see...

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A huge explosion shook the Saiya-jin ship. The people began acting faster, trying to regain the normal state of the spacecraft. Vegeta's father snapped his head towards the window as the King sighed and looked at the tiled floor.

Yes, it was truly happening... Bardock had been right...

Squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth tightly against one another, Vegeta thought of his last moments with the woman... Even their final good-bye had been nothing more than another venom-filled argument, full of hate and loathing...

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Bulma had been talking with ChiChi about the preperations after their blast off, when a huge explosion wave pushed their ship roughly forward. The crew began panicing about the welfare of their craft while ChiChi shrieked as hard as her lungs could handle.

The Queen pushed herself to her hands as she had hit her head against the ground when the ship shook. She stood up slowly on her legs and just as slowly turned her head to the nearest window. She hoped that once again she was wrong with her presumption. She held to her dear life that she was.

But she was not...

The Earth... It was... It was... Gone... Completely... Vanished... No where to be found... It had exploded into millions of tiny pieces and scattered in the Galaxy in the form of star dust...

For the first time in her life, Bulma Briefs the Queen of the Briefs Empire, the most advanced race in the Universe, stood completely still, watching emptily at the free space out the window...

Gone...........

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: Well?! What do you say? I'm really sorry about the lateness, really. But I am completely sure that the chapter would've seriously sucked if I have written it from that club I visit. I think I'll put more time into writing. I don't want this particular story to become dull just because I don't spend enough time into writing it. I won't take whole months to write, don't worry. Haha.

_Remember the equality: You plus Your Review equals Me plus Huge Enthusiasm plus Writing plus Next Chapter. Just see how little I wish of you, and how much I give. Haha. ;)_

_Love you and till next time, yours sincerely, _

_Hope_


	4. Ch04: Dawn of Hell

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Four: Dawn of Hell_

The lavender haired regal slumped to the ground. Her mind faintly registered ChiChi's unstoppable sobs, as Goku hugged her, trying to comfort her pain, or probably even soothe his own. But the girl was deaf and blind to the world, locked inside her mind for a moment that seemed like an eternity.

Her home was destroyed... Her mother, her father, her people... Her race was completely demolished... The children, the women, the men... Her planet was utterly gone... The trees, the beautiful night sky that she could observe for endless hours before she would fall asleep... She could find a new home, she could live with Yamcha on his planet... But it wouldn't be the same... With the planet destroyed, they could never wish it back... With everyone dead, who would be there to believe in her judgement now?... She had not noticed, but those people kept her fire burning, as faint as it was because of her mental state.

Now... Everything was going to change. Nothing was going to be the same ever again... She lost absolutely **everything** dear to her... **Everyone** that did not know her, yet believed in her without a second thought... **GONE!**

Yet again, tears would not form in her eyes. All she could do was stare with her frozen soul evident in her dead eyes in the far corner where her home planet had been located for so many centuries. Gone... No more existing... Never to be again... Not in an eternity... Namek was gone, Earth was gone, with that Dragon Balls and the legend about them also gone. They couldn't be resurrected... There was no possible way...

Where was she going to go now?... She had no home planet anymore. She had no family. She had no subjects... She had nothing, absolitely nothing.

In an instant, she felt anger wash over her. Now she was getting it. It was that asshole's fault! That's why he came here! He wanted something that he did not wish **anyone** else to have. She knew that the sly snake wanted to do something bad all this time. He was probably plotting his evil scheme for the last five years, thinking how to destroy her completely. But unknown to him, she was able to escape... Yes, she was completely alone now, with no back up from her people, but she had her own power, damn it! She once did, she would get it back again! Even if it was the last thing she'd do!

All of the thoughts that clouded Bulma's mind like a dark mist were those of sweet revenge. She knew that she had to plan everything perfectly, to make it flawless, and then to attack, once she was sure there would be no place for mistakes to occur. But taken in by the malice of the situation and the pain caged inside her for years that now had the oppertunity to materialize as blind rage, the Queen stomped over to the control panel and slammed the coordinates in, startling everyone, making them turn their heads towards her in confusion.

She was not going to be walked over again... This time she would do something... Drastic, or not, she needed a release... She couldn't take it any longer! She had to get this heavy weigth off her shoulders! And then and only then she'd be able to let it all go and live her life, if she was still breathing after doing what she planned to.

A hand made contact with her shoulder, startling her out of her trance. Her sparking sapphire eyes shifted to the form of Radditz, who rose a questioning brow at her.

"Where are we heading, your Majesty?" He asked courteously. A sad grin crossed the Queen's face before she answered.

"You should know better the coordinates of your home planet, Radditz. I think we need to plan his royal Majesty a visit that he will remember..."

X X X X X X X X X X X

Vegeta sat in his throne in the middle of the huge room that represented what his people called a throne room. He wondered about many things... How would he proceed now?... Earth was gone... The bastards probably fled and then destroyed it... They could be on any planet, waiting to attack, even right there, on Vegeta-sei, expecting the best moment, the one when he would be most vulnerable, to attack him.

Did he believe what Bardock told him?... He was forced to ensure himself... If Earth vanished when Namek did not exist, it would be a disaster. Namek was far from this solar system, and even all the neighbouring such. They would not go that far. Not to mention he had some of his people headed that way right on the instant, so he was sure there would be no unpleasant surprises.

But... How could he imagine that the woman was dead?... Her fiery self not breathing, not moving, not in this world? Not in this Universe, that was soon to become his?... Yes, they were separated all this time. No, he didn't want her bitchy self with him, she was just a burden. Yet he found himself willing to know that somewhere, in her solar system, or another, she still existed, still believed in her naive dreams... How could he imagine that never again will he have the opportunity to make her laugh, to cause her tears, to make her yell at him for something stupid he did yet again?...

"Hello, Vegeta." The man heard someone call his name and snapped out of his trance, glaring his eyes at the feminine form with waist long obsidian hair that was approaching him. The Saiya-jin slowly observed the following actions of the figure as it stood by the arm of his throne.

"What do you want, mother?!" He hissed between his tightly clenched teeth. He was not in the mood for his mother's lectures. "Don't you see I have things to decide for myself right now?"

"May I ask why did you demand all of the air-defence systems to be engaged?" The woman seemed to be determined to get the answers that she wanted from her offspring, no matter how much time and effort it would cost her. Well, he was his mother's son after all.

"I believe that this is no longer your business, woman." His words seemed more like a threat rather than an answer to such a simple question. Well, maybe the question was not that simple in the first place.

"Just answer me, and I'll leave you alone." She smiled slyly at him, making the younger version of her husband growl back.

"It's a precaution." He explained as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I thought you didn't believe in Bardock's 'mindless babbling', as you described it. I thought that to you he was just a 'mad man who had nothing better than to cause panic throughout the Empire'." The woman's smile grew as she knew the answer to those questions that she was asking. There were more of statements rather than anything else.

"He **is** a mad man with nothing better to do than to cause panic throughout the whole Empire **and** has no idea what he's blabbering about."

"But?..." The woman urged him with a note of something he knew no idea what it was. She never behaved like that before... And he already knew that it was pissing him off.

"But **nothing**! Now just get out of the fucking throne room and go do whatever you retired old bags do! I have work right now, so **leave me alone**!" He tried to push her out, but she just dodged him.

"Why did you go to Earth, Vegeta? Tell me, I'm not going to share it with anyone, son, you know I can keep your secrets."

The spiky-haired Saiya-jin cringed as he remembered some of his most sacred thoughts that he had shared with his mother. With an irritated sigh, he crossed his arms and glared daggers at her yet again, still just as determined to push her out of the door so he could get back to acting about the precautions so his planet would not follow Earth's example.

"Weren't you going to "leave me alone" after I answered your first question?!" He snapped and stood angrily up, walking out of the huge wooden doors towards the main quarters of his elite warriors. The sound of high heels hitting against the tiled floor alarmed him that his mother was not the one to give up easily.

"Come on, **your majesty**, share with your aging mother why did you do that and I'll really leave you alone this time." She gave him the best pleading look she could muster. It never worked if he wasn't in the mood for talking, but it wouldn't hurt if she tried...

"I... Wanted to insure myself."

He sped up as he opened the doors that led to the huge private training quarters of the elite Saiya-jin warriors, who served directly their King. The elder woman stopped in front of the door and headed back calmly towards her own room. Her smile was very much evident to all the servants that passed by her, making their face twist in confusion before they walked away.

Vegeta's mother was a complicated person. She was a Saiya-jin. That was true. She was most fit for giving birth to her King's son that would continue to Royal bloodline. Yes, she was taught by her Saiya-jin parents everything that every single Saiya-jin grew up with: emotions are for the weak, to be strong you must hold no restraints, both mentally and physically and such. But even her own son was the living proof for what she was taught when she was dead - emotions were what made a person stronger.

The woman could see it clearly. Yes, her son was blood-thirsty, he had a lust for power that could not be matched by any other being after he became Super Saiya-jin... But probably even he himself did not know that his weak spot lied in a being that contrasted him fully. A being that she had only heard about, whose legendary good nature and great Empire was known to the whole Galaxy, probably.

As much as her son would never admit it, she knew that all no matter how hard and utterly he had broken her, Vegeta knew that she would be able to move on, so he just wanted to insure that she would have the oppertunity to do so... And so, her son became even stronger than he believed.

The smile just refused to leave her expression.

X X X X X X X X X X X X

For the past five years, Vegeta-sei became the centre of the biggest Empire known that could possibly rise so high for so little time. For five years, the nature of the Saiya-jins' economics changed to roots. There were countless slaved people from neighbouring planets and systems. It was the centre of all sorrow caused to the people in the Universe. The centre of the Universe that you could just call Hell...

Vegeta-sei was never a civil planet. People there were far too primitive in their customs to become civil and be able to speak rather than to break bones. Yet now it was far more barbaric, as the race held more power than anyone could imagine - the power of their "immortal" King. With that power, Vegeta could do anything he wanted... And if it was ruining people's lifes he wanted, ruining people's lifes he got.

Being a slave in the Saiya-jin Empire was worst than death. Many have found that out the hard way. People from purged planets taken for fun of the warriors during trip, whores to please them in bed or just people to do the dirty work. They had no rights, no one asked them about anything. The people were far weaker than their masters, they had no hope for a riot that would stand no longer than a second against a Saiya-jin...

People were sold on markets like mere objects... Threated as if they had no privacy, no life, no pride, every single part of them belonged to their master once they were taken...

The best slaves were provided to the Saiya-jin no Ou himself...

X X X X X X X X X X X X

As Bulma's carrier finally reached its destination, she barely believed her eyes. How did he have the... the **insolence** to order his people to shoot at her ship?!

Shortly said, they had a rough landing on Vegeta-sei ground.

"Ah! That was some rough trip!" Goku said as he jumped out of the transport. Bulma stormed out and suddenly felt how everything weighted probably ten times it usually did. The gravitation, she remembered instantly, but still continued as though she felt no change. These years of training left a scar, you know.

"Your Majesty! Wait! Where are you going?!" Yelled Ariane as she got out the spacecraft as well, but was instantly pressed down by the higher gravitation than what she was used to on Earth. "You... Can't... Go... Alone!" She yelled after the determined woman, who turned on her heel to glare at her subject, as the auburn haired girl did her best to push herself back to her feet.

"What do you mean I can't go alone?! Of course I can, I am the Queen, Bulma Briefs! I can do whatever I want! I know the King and I have some things to talk with him about! I can do whatever I want!" She stomped with her foot against the ground, making a crater on the same spot.

"Bulma... You could be taken as a slave!" ChiChi called as she joined Goku, still getting used to gravity herself.

"What the hell are you talking about?! No one will take a **QUEEN** for a slave!!! I'm well-known, they have no right to do such a thing!" She insisted and turned around again, not noticing the paled faces of her remaining subjects when she bumped into a wall. She analyzed the situation again, recalling no wall present behind her just a second ago.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here? Brand new toys for our King...." A sly voice echoed in her head when she looked up to see a huge bald man and a few of other Saiya-jins behind him. Her frown deepened but her determination did not falter, unlike ChiChi's face.

"Your king?! Perfect! I have something to discuss with him! Now lead me to the Palace!" She demanded. Well, she had to behave arrogantly, like all Saiya-jins did. All except Goku, that is...

"Ohhhhh...." The group of Saiya-jin warriors exclaimed. Then their leader raised his hand to shut them up.

"I don't think you get it, sweet cheeks." He whispered as he bowed down to her eye-level. "You will not be bestowed with the priviledge to talk to his Majesty. And trust me, knowing what your function about him will be, you won't need to talk at all, not to mention won't be able." He chuckled coldly after his statement. Bulma's mind yet again tried to analyze what was just happening, trying to combine the sentences spoken by the guard to mean something else than what she was imagening them to mean, yet again believing that her luck would not fail her this day again.

"I heard there were screams echoing in the whole Palace the whole night every day! Can you believe that?! Even I can't hold up so much time every day! He's truly incredible, man!" Bulma's eyes bulged out. No.... It couldn't be....

"Come on, you little bitches! We're heading for the markets! We need to confirm that you are of a high class." The huge man bellowed at the people behind her. She lifted her head when he spoke to her again, her eyes wide and not blinking at all as the following sentence hinted her that she was closer to hell than she could ever imagine before... "As high as it is possible for mere slaves."

X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: Oi!!! Bulma and the others are going to be slaved! No! Veggie, save them boy!! Don't let her end like that! I hope you liked it... Well, the next chapter will be far more eventful. I promise. **I WANT TO SERIOUSLY THANK TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE BEING SUCH DARLINGS AND ARE REVIEWING EVERY CHAPTER! YOU KEEP MY FIRE BURNING, PEOPLE! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!**

_Review again and the next chapter will be up as soon as possible and you'll finally have an interesting moment yet again! Or at least that's how I plan it for now, lol. Neither of us all could know if you don't review! _

_Yours sincerely, Hope._


	5. Ch05: Dying Spirit

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Five: Dying Spirit_

Being pushed to walk faster, Bulma could barely believe that this was not a nightmare. But even in her worst nightmares she had never imagined to be a slave. The Queen of the most advanced race in the whole Universe - a slave! It was not even funny as a joke! It was tragic!!!

"Move faster, little bitch! We don't have all day!" The taller man behind her pushed her roughly, throwing her on the ground.

ChiChi and Goku watched horrified as their Queen lay on the cold wet ground, making her dress seem like a rag. They exchanged worried looks while ChiChi mentioned him with her head to go and help her. But her friend just shook his head. Yes, he was stronger than these people. But what was to happen if he revolted against his own kind? Was his father not here? But on the other hand, his father did not care enough to look for him all those years that have passed, why should he care what the fag thought?!

Yet something inside him told the strange-haired Saiya-jin that this was not the right course of action. So he just observed as the giant ape bent down to grab his friend by the arm and pull her to her feet like a lifeless rag-doll.

Bulma felt betrayed again... Betrayed by Vegeta's kind... She never expected to be mistaken for a mere woman from some unknown planet... But on the other hand, her planet was no more... They had full power to do with her whatever they wanted... Whatever they wanted...

"Stop playing, bitch, and get fucking moving! I'm getting tired of your bullshit, little wench!" He yelled in her ear, but the young woman did not even flinch. Her indifference earned her a rough throw back to the ground. She slowly pulled herself to her arms and back to her feet, as she took step after step, each of them damaging her soul further.

She was coming ever closer to her whole spiritual being's certain death at the hands of the only man she had loved and never loved her back...

X X X X X X X X X X X

The market was a horrible place... There were bleeding men and woman there, getting beaten nearly to death for not completing their responsibilities the way their masters wanted them. Children crying because they were left motherless in a foreign world... Children that were to become little slaves as well, having inpossible tasks to complete bestowed upom them by the twisted minds of a Saiya-jin.

Naked women having their teeth checked by the filthy finger of a perverted sex-driven Saiya-jin looking for a toy to play with in his free-time between a fight and a dinner. The same naked women having the hands of the same perverted sex-driven Saiya-jins roaming over their body, checking how their forms fitted to the filthy touch. Some poor souls even had to endure the shame of the fucker's hand inside them, just to make sure the seller was not lying that they were still virgins.

ChiChi and Ariane tightly closed their eyes. They didn't want to end up this way!

Bulma walked slowly around, looking at her surroundings. So, this was how the great Saiya-jin empire functioned. Having great warriors definitely costed a price... Monstrosities caused to innocent women, some of them even younger than her. Girls in their teenage years, or at least such for their race, that had no plans for copulating for the near future. Yet forced to satisfy sexually the monster that destroyed their home, their friends, their family, their planet...

Young girls just like her... She even wondered whether all these girls, women and children were not of the royal bloodline of their planets and that was why exactly they were taken alive to Vegeta-sei... The woman felt her fist clenching. How could Vegeta be such a bastard?! A complete asshole! No... There was no word that could describe him now... He was just... Just a monster, hungry for more power, more people to comand, more bodies to destroy whenever he wanted... More people to kill if he was in the mood to do so... She knew very well from the whole beginning that he was not a saint... But she would've never imagined he would let something such as this continue...

She always thought he had a heart...

And, again, something hers betrayed her... Her judgement was wrong...

He had nothing... He was dead inside...

Probably that was why he killed her heart as well...

"Move, you insolent little screw!!!!"

The last thing she saw was a tree that was getting closer and closer to her head...

X X X X X X X X X X X X

Meanwhile, ChiChi saw that the giant, that she had heard the other of his crew call Nappa, push her friend, who lost balance and evetually hit her head against the near tree. And she really hit it hard... The brunette watched as her friend's body fell limp on the ground as she blacked out completely.

The girl did the only thing she could think of.

She screamed.

"What did you do to her, you bastard?! My lady! My lady!! Wake up! **Bulma!!!**" The girl shook her mistress, but she did not react. Her body was lifeless in the hands of her frined, her long lavender locks flowing over the features of her face that seemed like she was sound asleep... But the oozing blood from her head hinted otherwise... "**Oh my GOD**, **BULMA!!!** She's **bleeding**, you walking dick!!! How could you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a hand slapped her hard across the face, sending her to the side of the other girl, collapsing atop of her. Goku was about to jump in for a fight when Ariane put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. He just watched as the two women that he cared most got their prides walked over by the massive man that held no respect for the women weaker than him and the women in general...

X X X X X X X X X X X X

ChiChi was walking slowly with a huge scowl on her face that made her look quite older and a sore cheek. Goku had been bestowed with the duty of carrying the passed out Earth Queen, who on the other hand still had blood oozing from the wound on her head.

They arrived at some... store of some sorts... Nappa seemed to know the seller very well.

"Why, Taurus, you old dog, you! Back in the business, eh?" The bigger man cheered and hit the other man's shoulder.

"Nappa, still purging and destroying as ever, eh?" Both of them laughed at something, that ChiChi's mind could not understand where the funny part was. "My mate refused to continue working here. She has some sort of morals or vorals or whatever she called it. She says it's against any kind of humanity to do such things to other races."

"I told you that she'll return brainwashed from Earth and that you shouldn't let her go there, but you didn't listen to me, did you?"

ChiChi flinched. There was another Saiya-jin on Earth? Do these monsters just cross over the galaxy as they like?! Who did they think they are anyway?! Fucking deities?!

"Anyway, I'm here on business. I'm bringing you a whole chain of slaves. And they seem elite. So, you'll have to pay some sum for them." The greedy huge man chuckled coldly at the vision of the money in his hands.

His interlocutor did not say a word. He just walked over to the group of earthlings and took a closer look at them. He noticed that one of them was different from all of the others. He just could not understand what was so different... Shrugging, he investigated the small brunette who had a red cheek. She seemed cute and some skills would not harm her...

"What can you do?" He asked her slowly. ChiChi was about to spit an insult back at him, but Goku's glare stopped her from doing so. He just nodded afterwards, causing a sigh to escape her pinkish lips.

"I can cook and I'm a very good maid. I was her Majesty's personal servant." She explained casually.

"Her personal slave?" The man corrected understandingly.

"**No**." The girl emphasized on the small syllable. "I was her **servant**." She was to add 'Our race was far smarter than yours', but she refrained from doing so. She knew that it would not be the smartest thing she could do at the moment.

"Oh?" The smirk on the Saiay-jin's face she didn't like. "Is that so?" He passed her after saying that.

The same thing followed about every single person from the ship, until he reached Goku. He looked the boy up and down several times as well as the creature that he held in his arms before he finally noticed the tail flipping behind his back. The eye brows of the man rose in confusion.

"Are you Radditz, Bardock's son?" He asked. "He was the only missing kid after the checks." He stepped further to the boy and looked him closer.

"No. My brother's name is Radditz." He explained calmly, looking Taurus directly in the eyes. "And this creature in my hands is my Queen, Bulma Briefs, from planet Earth. I am not going to judge your King, neither your economical plans, but as far as I'm concerned a Queen should not be treated like this." He pulled the young woman's head to the man's line of sight. His well-trained eye on the other side caught the blood on the side of the face of the fragile creature immediately and he whipped around to glare at Nappa.

"Who, the **fuck**, told you you could hit an elite slave without being their master, never the less one that has once been of a high rank on their planet?!" He yelled at his old time "friend". "Oh, no, no, wait! Maybe you just **didn't know**, eh?!" He continued ranting.

"Well, I didn't, but, I-" The other man began trying to defend himself. However, it was useless.

"Of course, all you have to do is **ask**! But, of course, you are far too restrained in mental aspect to think of something **so very hard**!"

It was a very funny picture, if you were a tourist here. But to those who were to be slaves it was just another horrifying display of violence. The men began fighting, exchanging words in their own language and nearly got to a fist fight. However, the owner threw him out before he could remember what his name was. After that, Taurus bandaged Bulma's head and did not fail to notice how beautiful she was. He thought about keeping her to himself, but then the idea of making her a gift to his King seemed far more tempting. He would be thankful to him for such a beautiful flawless creature such as her. She had to have the manners of a royalty since she was a Queen...

Yes, that was it. She would be his key to the ranks of the elite soldiers.

X X X X X X X X X X X

Bulma woke up in an unfamiliar place. The room was huge and she wondered where she was. The last thing she remembered was tha tree that... Her hand snapped to her head, finding it pleasantly bandaged and clean. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she slipped out of the bed to the carpeted floor. She looked around. It seemed like a royal's room. Maybe... No... She was in...

The man that had been talking in front of the big wooden door entered and the shorter Saiya-jin's attention snapped to her form. A grin spread across Taurus' face, expecting the approval of his King. She was truly majestic, he gave her that. But his King seemed to think something else at the moment.

"Leave." The Saiya-jin no Ou demanded, as the man nodded knowingly, expecting his prize to follow shortly after the night the two spent together.

Yet the two young people just stared at each other, feelings collapsing against the walls of their eyes, the windows to their souls, like the waves of the ocean against the rocks of the solid ground.

They had so much to tell each other, yet neither knew how to begin...

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: Now, don't you just hate me? I stopped on the most interesting place! Lol! You'll have to review again to have the next chapter up! These people at the club are distracting me. It's hard to write, so, please, you're my only hope of inspiration!

Yours sincerely, Hope


	6. Ch06: Collapsing

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Six: Collapsing_

The stillness of the room was slowly turning into perpetual coldness that engulfed the fragile female's wounded body. She felt the blood pump in the wound on her head, but she had no time to pay attention to it. She was too busy glaring daggers at the man that influenced her peaceful enough as to transform it completely into a living Hell. Something not many people can do to a Queen as authoritative as Bulma Briefs, the head of the most advanced race there could possibly ever be in this Universe. A Queen that was, since her childhood, by far not as normal as all of the other leaders presumed...

Bulma always had the fighting spirit in herself, the fire that burnt anyone who dared to mess with her or her attitude. The fire that kept burning many others' just by its existence. The fire that made some of her friends feel complete when they saw the living flames dance in the whilrwind of other people around the princess' emotions, the fire they could recognize at any time. The attitude of the young princess just have added to the impression that she would turn into a temperamental Queen. And so she had...

But everything she had was to be taken by this man, this same man that was now standing boldly and proudly in front of her. A man that she had quickly learnt to despise for every monstrosity that he committed to her... One man that stole her heart and now threw it back at her face, completely broken and empty... Just mere leftovers from the huge meal it had represented to the Saiya-jin King's hungry mouth... He had completely devastated her and now planned to have her as his toy around his planet of barbarians with their prehistoric ways of life?! He guessed quite wrong if that was what he assumed she would let herself do...

Finally, unable to stand the quiet any longer, the female sneered in a way that by no means suited a Queen of her rank. A Queen, she thought? No, she was no Queen any longer. Thanks to **him**!

"What? No warm welcome? No "Hi, Bulma, how've you been? Did you have fun after I fucked you and never called back again?"? I'm quite surprised, I must confess..." She began spitting the venom she had held down for all those years. She hated herself more than she hated him... She hated herself for being weaker than him and letting him take his tall on her even though she shouldn't regret anything that happened... She did everything because she wanted to... But... Did she make the right decision?... She risked her life so many times for a man that now destroyed her home planet, her parents, her people in the blink of an eye without batting a single eye-lash... How was **that** fair?...

"Sarcasm is one of the many things that does not suit you, woman." Vegeta murmured and passed by her, refusing to watch her expression any longer. He knew that his resistence to her black magic was straightened ever since they last parted, but he knew just as well that right now... He was doubting everthing that once he thought were unbreakable laws...

Just as Earth's existence... It was something that he did not consider turning into a wrong statement. 'Earth still exists. The earthlings have created a new super-weapon that can stand the attacks of some race or some other race.' He was used to hearing those words with the years. He accepted it as a part of this Universe, something invulnerable... After all, no matter how hard he may disagree and argue with you on the topic, Earth was under the Saiya-jin Empire's wing.

Yet something had managed to break the rule... Which could only mean that the young man's Empire was not as invulnerable in itself as he had thought it was. Things were going terribly wrong... Things that he was taking for granted all these years... One after another, they have begun disappearing right before his eyes... Like Bulma's life force... It was ever since weakening since he left... He understood full well that he was the source of all her sorrow, of all her problems. But what did she want from him?! Suicide because he was causing her pain?!

"As a title of such a high-rank does not suit you, your **majesty**." The lavender haired woman emphasized on each syllable of the last word.

"Did you come just to push your luck? Do you doubt that if you keep that up I'm capable of twisting your little neck for your endless insolence?!" Vegeta hissed, his head snapping sharply in her direction. "Just who the fuck do you think you **are**, woman?!" He took another step back to her having his nose almost touch hers.

"I have no idea any longer, Vegeta. Why don't **you** enlighten me, your royal I-Know-It-All-ness?" She did not fall behind. The King's eye brow rose. Did she meant what he thought she did by her words?!

"May I ask what the hell are you blabbering about?!"

"You know full well what I'm talking about, you egocentric fool!" She spat the insults as if there was going to be no tomorrow. Well... In a way, there would never be a "tomorrow" anymore... "I know you hate me for the fact that my mind has evolved better than yours has in this barbaric lacking any kind of esthetical feeling planet, but what in Dende's name made you think you could just blow my planet up, you self-centered power-thirsty maniac!!?!" She had the urge to push him back but knowing the resault will be good as none, she refrained from doing so.

If the young man had taken more than the second he did to think over her words, he would have defended himself otherwise. However, he picked the worst part of her sentence to defend...

"And just what makes **you** think that some low-life weak Earthling creature such as you can tell me, the King of all Saiya-jins, what to do? Maybe you have some hidden powers that you will use on me if I don't do as you say? Or you'll scratch me to death?!" He laughed cruelly, adding more to the coldness of the room. The lavender haired woman felt her hands numb already, but she had no time to analyze that. She found herself into a far too heated argument that she had waited for so long and now she finally got...

"It's always been about your race and your position in it, hasn't it?! You make me **sick** with your selfish ideas of slavery and your insolence for those smarter than you..." Bulma felt another urge as to spit in his face by the twisted smirk that lay on it, but she knew better than doing so. She still treasured what was left from her life, or at least she would never let herself fall so low as to be killed by the likes of him.

"So you're here to judge the way I rule my Empire? Is that it, you pitiful excuse for a regal?!" He bit back. Bulma made a smirk matching his.

"No, Vegeta, for so many years you did not understand one thing - I am not like you." Her smirk grew when a huge frown took place on his facial expression.

"What the fuck are you doing here then, woman?" He smirked as well, regaining his composure, walking behind her. "Here is not a place where every low-class like you can enter... Someone must've brought you here... What purpose do you have to come back to me? Can't have enough of me?" He purred seductively in her ear as his hot breath sent shivers down her whole cold body. Was it just her or was he radiating warmth?... She slapped herself mentally. She was not going to fall for his charms again! Never again!!! She wouldn't let get her pride walked over again! She had dignity to keep!!!

He caught her off-guard with his question... Why did she come?... What would whatever he said change the events of this horrid day? How would anything he did give her back her life? Everything was forever lost... She had nothing to lean on, her friends were stolen from her by the harpies that called themselves Saiya-jins... She had nothing and no one... What now?...

"I am here to demand explanation!!!" Bulma screamed. Otherwise her voice would probably crack, giving her away. She wouldn't like that at all...

"Demand?" The King chuckled, brushing a strand of her shoulder-lenght lavender hairs behind her ear. "I do not think you are in position to demand anything, woman..." His chuckle resumed, but he stopped when his hand was caught in Bulma's smaller one, as the female turned around to face him, unshed tears clearly gleaming in her fiery sapphire eyes.

"What else do you want from me, Vegeta?! What else?! Tell me! I will give it to you, if you insist so much! Just name it and I'll serve it for you on a silver platter. Is that not what I am to you? Something you can get everything out from? So be it. I will get myself to fit in that role. All I ever wanted was your approval, Vegeta, nothing else! I just wanted to know that you wanted to stay with me after all the things I did for you, after all I gave you... But not one bit of those things could ever hold back the untamed Saiya-jin no Ou, eh? Well, fine with me, as you see, I'm still breathing. But tell me only this, Vegeta... Why? Why did you have to blow my planet up? What did I do to you? Where did I go wrong? I need to know if you want me to correct myself-"

"**Stop it, woman!!!**" He bellowed and pushed away from her, taking his hand back. "I don't need your obedient tone, I don't need any of this from you, understood?!"

"You don't need any of this?!" She repeated disbelieving her ears. "If you don't need this, why did you still reclaim your planet?! **Why?!** Just for the "fun"?!"

"**Just shut up, woman!!!**" He yelled again, beginning to walk forward and backward like a furious caged animal in the zoo. "You have no idea how these things function!!"

"I don't see how something such as destroying my planet into tiny star dust functions at all for **anyone**, Vegeta!! Tell me! Enlighten me!!!"

"It is something above you, woman, something you will never understand! Why waste my breath on you?!"

"I wasted mine on you far enough to deserve this little thing, Vegeta, and you **fucking know it!!!**" She screamed, her tears shining brighter. Was that human? Was it even saiya-jin to threat such a fragile creature such as herself this way? How come that everything became this way?... How did the tables change so much for five years?...

A sudden pause that came out of the blue for the furious female. She had the time to calm her breath a little and get a better grip at her emotions, that were once again screaming to be freed from the bars she was putting them behind... But there was no other way around. She needed to be strong... At least in front of him... She mustn't break down in front of his watchful eyes... That would probably be her last huge mistake in her life... Vegeta, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought. He seemed not in thought but... Battling his inner self about something...

"It was not me." He finally decided to inform her. And with that the conversation for him was over. But by no means for Bulma...

"And... You did nothing to prevent that? You, the 'strongest being of all'? The most powerful creature there could ever be? You knew me and my whole planet were going to be completely demolished yet did nothing to stop that from happening?..."

"Yes, I knew, and did nothing about it." He said sternly, not once looking back at her. Another pause. The full weight of the situation was falling on Bulma's shoulders just now. He... He knew... And... He... He did not care... Not at all... He did not care whether she lived or not... Even worse... He probably even wanted her dead... Was that fair?... To love someone so fully and not to receive one ounce of care back? Not one?...

"What's to become of me and my friends now?..."

"You'll be royal slaves in the castle. You should be touched to be honoured with such title." The spiky-haired man spat at her. He already had more than enough of this stupid argument. He was getting quite annoyed with the whole situation.

And, again, out of the blue, Bulma's attitude changed again. Her violent mood swings were getting more and more violent with every passing second that her sanity escaped from the back of her mind...

"Honoured?! **Honoured!?** Are you **mocking** me?!" She yelled atop of her lungs, taking them as far as they could bring her in the volume of her voice. "Why should I be **honoured** to kiss a dirty monkey's ass like yours?! How honourable is that?! I am a Queen, in my veins runs royal blood! I deserve to be treated as a regal just as much as you do!!! Don't you dare belittle me so, you-" Bulma found herself at loss of voice when her back was slammed hard against the nearest wall by the Saiya-jin King who had completely lost hold of his temper by the moment.

"Listen here, woman, and listen good. Don't try to play cool with me. You are no longer on your sissy planet where everyong kisses your ass. Here you will do what **I** say, and if you don't, you'll get yourself stomped over by many, many people. So I advice you not to be reckless and to understand what is good for you and if you're good enough, I might consider letting you go of duty some time next or the year after it."

'Let go of duty'?... What was that supposed to mean? That no matter what had happened into the past he would still force her to be a slave to him? And do whatever his whim called?! No... That was just a cruel joke... Get stomped over? Did she not get already get herself walked over by far too many Saiya-jins? Did she not have enough of all of this non-sense?! To the female it seemed that it had no end... An endless pool of sorrow, grief and betrayal... Those three things have made a ring around her life, keeping it firm in their grip...

Bulma began to shake her head furiously. No... She was not going to end up like that... It was far too pathetic!... She was not going to be a slave to him... No... She had pride... She had her dignity... She had to get out of her... Fast!... And she did the first thing that came on her mind.

She ran for her life.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Vegeta sneered as he watched the little woman scurry down the corridor. The guard in front of his room did as well.

"Should I follow her, your majesty?" He asked.

"Don't bother. She doesn't have anywhere to go. She'll come back by herself eventually..." And with that the King shut the door behind himself. He had to rest. All of this fighting business was beginning to dance on his thin nerves. He had put so much effort into completely forgetting the woman and now she had to waltz in back in his life...

Everything was going "perfect", truly...

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Bulma ran as far as her feet could take her. She did not know where she was headed, nor did she care. The little female just wished to disappear from his sight... She could still feel his piercing glare dig right through the depths of her soul to the bottom of her fragile psychic. Even his mere glare was causing the agony to rise again. She could feel her mind convulsing. Reality and nightmare mixed to form this terrible place... This place where she now found herself lost in...

All of this was a lie, she told herself. Just a bad dream that she would wake up any time soon from. She knew it was. It had to be. She was Bulma Briefs. There was no way Bulma Briefs would die in such misery! She knew it was a lie!

The young woman fell on her ass on the cold tiled floor as she collided with something hard and tall. She looked up to see the last thing she needed right now, hearing the words that only served to further drive her collapsing sanity go over the edge.

"Now, if that isn't a cute little concubine?... What are you doing around these halls so late, sweetie? What do you say you join me in my quarters?"

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: Damn, that was hard... No muse... Need to learn maths... Tired... No sleep recently... -sigh- What more do I need to say?... I hope you liked the chapter... I won't poke you to review... You know how much I love them reviews and I hope you submit them, but even if you don't, I won't be mad. Just the next chapter will be even more late, nothing else. And sorry that nothing much happened again... I think my style is kind of wearing off... I'll try my best to correct that...


	7. Ch07: Possessive Obsession

Oh my fucking God!! I haven't updated for **ages**!!! (Two months to be exact...) I read the first chapter of this fic again and I got myself inspired. How low I've fallen, to inspire myself... Need to break head in something... But that I'll do after I have written my chapter. Now let's get it on!

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Seven: Possessive Obsession_

Bulma took a desperate step back from the huge man in front of her, a person she had never met before in her life and already wished not to see ever again. She wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide within it, hide from every lust-filled mateless Saiya-jin around this Palace. She could only guess those kinds of warriors were more vicious, since they were sexually unsatisfied and had the lust to see blood more than any other. She swallowed hard as she imagined how he could possible drain some blood from **her**.

The man noted the psychotically scared expression the cute little female had on her pretty little face and his own twisted into a malicious grin. This was going to be so fun. Saiya-jin women never expressed their emotions like this one little being. She seemed even more special with her long lavender tresses falling gently over her creamy white shoulders as she was dressed with a gown that would've suited a Queen when it had been whole.

His grin grew, if possible, at the nice catch. Since she was freely wandering around, he guessed she couldn't be one of his King's 'bed mates', as the young ruler was far too possessive of his things to let them roam carelessly among his merciless sex-driven soldiers. Vegeta was not stupid. He knew quite well that even the mated soldiers had little time for their mates as he was pushing them to work harder for the well-being of the empire. To slave more for the well-being of the Empire. To destroy more so the Empire gets further constructed... A race built over others' misery... A pitiful Empire...

He grabbed her by her elbow roughly and tried to pull her towards him with little effort as he guessed when she was showing her emotions so freely, she couldn't be physically strong at all. He was more than surprised when the little minx pulled back in an effort to escape which came to no avail as the guard regained his composure.

What else could he want? A gorgeous fiery little female with enough strenght as not to be broken by him. Today must've been his day!

Meanwhile Bulma's heart was racing fast. She tried to pluck out of that man's grip, yet the power he was pushing into it would probably make her elbow all blue in a matter of minutes. The pain her arm was nothing compared to the pain in her head. She pictured the worst that would happen to her... And nothing and no one would be able to save her, as Vegeta could care less about her and she doubted anyone else around here cared what others did. All they could care about were their pays, couldn't it?

The young woman prayed to God, oh how dearly she prayed, that she would be saved. That was not a way for her to be threated... Not for all that had already happened to her.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Vegeta stormed around his command room, his blood red cape flapping behind him as he took sharp turns when he had reached one wall of the room. He was impatient for his operator to arrive so the ship could start up but he seemed to be completely unaware of the task he had been set to just the day before. The King had emphasized that it was an important mission, and now the bafoon was nowhere to find!?! What was wrong with these idiots recently!? Why weren't they obeying him!!!?

The Saiya-jins in the room began trembling slightly as they saw how the yellow aura radiated from their ruler. They knew better than to piss him off so as they still treasured their lives.

The young Saiya-jin that cautiously neared his King shared their feelings completely, yet he had to deliver bad news... And his King was already angry, without even having to hear what he had to say.

"Sir..." He began slowly. The onyx stare buried into his skull almost physically painfully as the boy swallowed hard.

"Where is that idiot!? I cannot send a ship off without an operator!!! **Where is my operator!?!!**" He bellowed at the poor thing, who trembled at the sound of his voice. The action served good only to anger the man further.

"I couldn't find him anywhere around the training rooms, sire. He must've gone somewhere... No one has seen him for the last--"

"**SILENCE**!!!" Vegeta yelled again, the very last drop of his patience gone completely. This time all men in the room jumped up when he yelled. Uh oh... If even one of them lived, they would kill Kuuro when they saw him anywhere around. They got THE King angry... And just how angry he was... The vein on his forehead looked as if it was about to explode. The boy took a step back, terrified at the fate that would soon reach him for being the messanger with the bad news. Yet no blow followed, just the resounding of foot steps towards the ship's door.

"Incoherent fools!!! Do I have to do everything myself!?!" They heard a well-known voice storming off towards the Palace in search of his operator. The mission was far too important to him and he could not afford for the start to fail. He needed that ship in space, and he needed it out **today!** Let God be merciful over Kuuro's fate when Vegeta reached him...

The men sighed heavy sighs of relief when their lives had been spared by the flared temper of their King. What was wrong with him? Usually when he was this angry he needed desperately to kill someone, even if it would be a mistake if he killed his best tactician for an example. What managed to mess his head up in so little time as to make him give up even temporarily on this 'tradition'? Before the conspiracy could be formed among them, the ground shook violently, nearly sending some of them to the ground.

The situation had grown worse than they feared...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The King was on a rampage. He was taking very sharp twists and turns down the halls he knew by heart and his head snapping in every direction down the turns he didn't take in search of the man he had sent so many people to look for and now finally decided to do himself, as he found out if he wanted to do something right, he had to do it himself.

Where was that idiot when he was most needed, damn him!? He had informed all personel that this was a **very important** mission, and if one of them was late, or gone for that matter, it would cost him dear.

Finally, as the thoughts of the most painful punishment for the imbecile were rising ever more, he spotted his broad back in the hall way. With a loud growl, the King approached threateningly his servant. How... Dare... **HE**!??!?!!!

"What the **fuck** do you think you're going, you low-life mush!? I thought I told you that if you screw up **one more time**, I'm going to do something worse than kick you out of the army!" He bellowed at the man that instantly turned at the direction of the voice only to have his King witness to a scene that strangely stuck in his ice cold heart, almost shattering it to pieces.

There was the woman, **his woman**, in the hands of this very filthy low-class soldier, who had his hands cupped over her perfectly shaped breasts through the gown she had strangely retrieved somehow and her face was streamed with bitter tears. She looked pleadingly at him with her huge shiny round cerulean eyes... His stomach twisted hard. Such a strong woman... So affected by something as insignificant as this meaningless servant of his. And he let her roam around carelessly... How could he!? How could it never occur to him that this might happen, having such a flawless woman around here. He couldn't say another word as he looked at her, his mouth invisibly slightly open.

The other man, on the other hand, began stuttering as he let go of her form with much of a disapproval.

"S-s-sire... Y-You came here to re-retrive me?" He received no answer as the ebony haired King continued to glare intensely at him, then glance at the small woman and back to him again.

Unknown to either of them, Vegeta had his mind working on a very high speed. What had that idiot **done** to her? What did he say he would do to her!? How did he manage to fuck with her mentality so much in such a little amount of time!!!? He could tell, as he noticed they were just about to leave in the direction of the loser's quarters before he arrived.

The shorter man's fists balled tightly and his knuckles instantly turned white from the pressure. He imagined that she was probably enduring this every day in her head since he left... He knew quite well she had fallen for him, no matter whether she tried to refuse it or not. He just knew it, he could see it in her eyes that night, on the bed on Freeza's ship... He was the cause of most of her turmoil, but he could say she never cried like that because of him... He could tell by the fear in her eyes, the desperation in them... She never looked at him that way... And now her cerulean orbs shined brightly... With hope and plead... An unvoiced plead for rescue... He could tell she was being torn inside by all those emotions that seemed to always overwhelm her small being... How could so much mix into such a small and fragile body?!

The King was slowly losing control over his emotions. Who the hell did that idiot think he was!? How could he!? How **dare** he cause **that** to **his **woman!? He would pay... He would pay dearly... He would have revenge for her... Blood would be shed, guts would be spilled over the tiled marble floor...

But not only were his emotions going out of control. His power was closely following their lead, as the two seemed to be unseparate, yet the young regal seemed not to know that. His aura was engulfing his whole form in its warm golden embrace and his eye brows were changing colours constantly from obsidian to golden and back. His eyes were of a light teal colour and his teeth were bared at his servant, his orbs more scaring as his eye brows were narrowed right over them.

The guard got the hint and ran towards the ship before he got in any more trouble than he aready was. Dismissing the thought of him, Vegeta decided to take care of him after he returned from the task. His grip on his own hands loosened and he let got of his anger. He stepped closer to Bulma, who in turn collapsed on her knees to the ground in exhaustion. She took a sharp inhale and her sobs seemed to be freed of the bottle they have been in for the past few minutes.

She was looking at the marble of the floor and she noticed as two small droplets fell over the glassy surface. Her eyes were shimmering with tears... Tears of fear... Of mental exhaustion... Of turmoil and pain... How much longer could she take of this!? Why were all those things happening to her!? Wasn't she broken enough as it was? Did she need something else to add on more to her pain!? She embraced her arms around herself, feeling the sudden need to feel something warm around her shaking body as the destroyed gown she wore did little to none to keep her body warmth.

Vegeta looked at her from his position over her. She was so fragile, so breakable... While in the meantime she showed strength and courage even some of his servants couldn't. He admired her speechlessly, he adored every single part of her. He wouldn't hide that, but wouldn't tell it to her either. She was something special, she truly was. But she would never be anything special to him. However, he wouldn't let any of those imbeciles on this planet have her this way either. And she doubted she would let herself know anyone else like she got to know him. She was not stupid enough.

With a sigh he kneeled by her and brushed her tears away with his thumb. Her azure orbs shifted to him, hatred evident in them as she glared intensily at him. It was all his fault she was here to begin with!

Neither said anything before Vegeta took her in his arms. She squirmed in his grip, but it was useless. The King heard the far off sound of a ship starting up and vanishing into space. He nodded to himself and headed to his room. He would have to tell this woman a few things about this planet and its inhabitants...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

ChiChi looked worriedly at her best friend worriedly who was currently mastering the skill of pealing potatoes.

"Goku... Do you think Bulma's ok now?..." She asked lowly. He looked at her and continued to work concentrated fully on his potato with a sigh.

"I sure hope so, Chi, or I'll take the whole planet down to retrieve her!"

The raven haired girl smiled warmly at the boy. He had grown up with his princess, now ex-Queen of the Earth Empire... She was sure he was willing to give his life for the young woman... Her smile turned to a frown. He better not need to do anything of the sort, or she would also figure out a way to avenge her Queen...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Just what the hell were you thinking, woman!? Roaming around the palace thoughtlessly! Can you imagine what was to happen to you if it hadn't been for me?!" The Saiya-jin yelled angrily at his so-called 'guest'. Bulma currently had her eyes set on the soft matress she was sitting on rather than on being concentrated over his words. "Are you listening to me!?" He bellowed.

"Why should I listen to **anything** you say, Vegeta!? As if anything you can say can change things! My planet is **gone**! My people are **dead**! My mind is going **insane**! And you know what's the best part!? It's all because of **you**!! Now you can be far prouder with yourself, knowing you have destroyed what little sanity I had left after you abandoned me!" She lost her patience and yelled at him for her dear life.

He closed his mouth immediatelly as he had opened it to speak, but no sound came out after her last sentence. What the hell was that he heard!?

"I abandoned you?" He repeated slower. She threw daggers at him with her glare.

"That's what they call it when someone ditches you without even saying good-bye." She spat at him.

"Would you have hated me so much if I did?" She thought about his words. Would she?... The good-bye would mean that he somehow began caring for her all this time... That somehow he was beginning to get devoted to her... And right then, before she managed to truly create a bond with him, he would disappear. "Wasn't it easier for you all these years when you thought what an asshole I am for leaving you like that?"

Was he just trying to pull another one off at her, or was he sincere? Maybe he was just trying to convince her he had done that with a little thought, when in truth he knew no better than that back then... She sighed. He always managed to confuse her like that...

She wanted to ensure herself that he had cared for her and that was why he left without saying good-bye. Yet... Somehow something inside her told her that this was another trick... Another trick to make her feel bad and to belittle her again. What could she say to that? There was no question whether it would've been easier for her the way it was. Bulma would've surely be more sad and tortured by her mind when knowing she was beginning to have him feel back for her the way she did...

Vegeta relaxed invisibly. His mind was put to a rest when he saw that he made her think it over. Truth to be told, he didn't say good-bye to her back then for another reason, which he would never share with her, or would never admit to himself again. Back then, he was feeling that after they 'mated', as he liked to call it, the bond that he was so afraid of, had grown stronger, quite stronger.

Just think about it. Saiya-jin and human... What was to become of such a bond? Nothing, that's what. She was too weak for him, he was too strong for her... They wouldn't ever have a peaceful life if they were to stay together on her planet and live 'happily ever after', as is constantly written in those foolish Earth stories its inhabitants like to call 'fairy-tales'.

What they shared was certainly not a fairy-tale. If asked to be classified, it would be more of an anti-fairy-tale... The connection they shared was way different than the one of the 'beautiful princess and the handsome prince'... They continuedly fought, even over small things. They rarely agreed on anything together, even if it was just for the sport of fighting the other would stand on the opposite opinion.

Yet he found himself unable to hate her, but was sure she despised his guts. She was a part of his past, present, and, presumably, future that he thought he would be incapable to ever forget. He seemed not to wish to share her with anyone, not to mention that pitiful excuse of a husband of hers. No matter how hard he tried to push her out of his mind ever since she came to him again, he found himself mesmerized by having her secure somewhere, so no one would touch her.

What he experienced he could not classify, but we can. He was purely obsessed with her. Utterly and completely. He did not wish to have her walk around directionlessly, with no clear thought of what she was going to do around there in mind, for another filthy rat might try to put a hand on her. And this time someone would die as his self-control had quite withered away today. He wouldn't let her get herself hurt again. He was the only one allowed to hurt her now.

Vegeta shook his head and glanced at the opposite direction.

"Please... leave... I need to think things over..." The fragile female laid herself against the silky matress and the moment her head touched the pillow, she was asleep, doing her best to ignore the throbbing of her aching head... She had quite some adventurous day today and it was still to its middle... But a nap would serve her best right now and that was what she decided would be the best thing to do.

Vegeta watched her sleep without a word for some time. He admired how her curves curled to form such a flawless small body for every woman to envy. She was so beautiful and... Heavenly? He didn't believe in the human God... Neither did he believe in any of the Vegeta-sei-an. What he believed in was power and pride. He believed in his abilities as they were the only ones that could never fail him.

He stood up from the bed, walking out from his room, letting the woman have her rest before calling one of his maids and telling her not to let Bulma pass this door even if she had to tie the fiery woman to the bed post. She nodded and before dismissed, she was told to bring a new set of clothes for the female inside. The woman nodded her head again and went to work as her King directed himself towards the control room to see how the flight was going. He couldn't trust those idiots alone with such an important task, but right then, he needed to stay on the planet, just in case...

His onyx stare buried itself in the snow-white flesh of the sleeping creature on his bed. How could he not get obsessed of such a being, so divine and innocent...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_A/N:_ Was that good enough for a 'welcome'? I sure as hell hope it is. :D I'm going to ask you again to review, though I won't blame you at all if you had enough of my 'writer's blocks'... -sigh- I understand you pretty well, but what can I do? I try to write this fic only when I get inspiration, as the last thing I want to do is ruin it. It is quite my best work yet. I'm so not going to let it crash **now**, of all time. Anyway... Sorry to blab so long about useless stuff...

_Reviews are inspiration, people! Please review and next chapter will be out in no time!_


	8. Ch08: Room To Breathe

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Eight: Room To Breathe_

Bulma woke up soon from her dreamless sleep, needless to say with a killer headache. Her temples were pulsing painfully and she felt as if all of the blood had concentrated in her head.

She pushed herself against the bed post with a groan, noting that her body was covered with the silk cover and there was a dress by the foot of the bed, hanging loosely over it and down to the carpeted floor.

With another groan, she pushed herself out of the covers and over to the bathroom which was the only thing that could possibly catch her attention right now. She needed a shower and fast...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Vegeta stormed in his room, slamming the door shut with force enough to bring any other door off its hinges, yet this was a specially designed door right because of the temper of the young King. He could easily predict that he would be capable of retreating to his quarters at the thought of breaking someone's neck becoming too tempting for him to handle with his self-control. That was why he ordered the royal architects to do something about that issue.

It had been around an hour after Bulma had gone into the bathroom and she picked just the right time to stop the water flowing and to grab a towel that seemed not to be used by anyone.

In the mean time, Vegeta had thrown himself on his bed, staring at the ceiling with the only thought racing his mind: what was he going to do about the whole situation now? He didn't predict she would survive the attack that was supposed to follow. That messed up his plans quite some much. Now he had to worry about her as well. A snort followed the last thought. Worry? He couldn't **possibly** be worried about her! But as much as he tried to keep his pride at bay, he was indeed concerned by keeping her safe. He would be damned if he rephrased it to her like that though.

His head snapped at the direction where the sound came from as the door to the bathroom clicked open. Was that where she had been all that time? He didn't even notice. He was far too engulfed with his thoughts in the meantime, as now he became engulfed with her frame by the door, water dripping from her whole body.

Unlike how most earthlings do, she didn't carry her towel around her body, nor around the lower parts of her body. She had it around her neck, the small piece of drying cloth barely managing to cover the nipples of her plump breasts as she was currently drying her hair. She stopped her ministrations as she noticed that the owner of this very room and the whole Palace in general had returned from wherever he had gone to. Not quite a fact that made her jump up with joy, but she decided to ignore it, strolling over to the foot of the bed where everything she could need right now was located.

He stared blankly at her, not understanding where the impudence came out of her, yet he let his eyes roam freely over her exposed flesh. That didn't pass unnoted by the former Queen of the Earth, yet she wasn't in the mood for any sarcastic remarks about the way he was 'checking her out', as the young people on her planet liked to call it. Suddenly, her frown deepened ever more as she thought of her home... Of her **destroyed **home...

"As much as I'd **hate**," he emphasized on the word on purpose with sarcasm dripping from his voice, "to put a halt to your mischievous plan, do you mind telling me just why are you carrying yourself around naked?" She glanced tiredly at him with an almost pained expression as she examined the clothes left for her on the Saiya-jin's bed.

"I didn't really think his Majesty would mind." The fiery female answered with the same amount of sarcasm in her words as well. She quickly approved the flared four-piece navy skirt that she had with a frown, as she still had that loathing directed at skirts and dresses from her early womanhood, yet now it was ever smaller as a Queen she was supposed to wear those all the time. She looked at the sky blue dressing gown under it and looked at it suspiciously. Well, it could've been worse.

The Saiya-jin King looked expectantly at her yet she did nothing to cover her naked curves which, strangely, seemed to infuriate him for a reason unknown to us all. We can guess that the King was a beauty admirer. Why was he so stiff around this very woman? With a sigh he turned his glance away to the window, watching as the two suns of Vegeta-sei were about to set. Bulma stole a glimpse in the same direction, then continued to roam though the garments she had been provided with.

The panties were snow-white and seemed quite comfortable, yet too lacy for her liking. She noted this with a deep frown.

"Is that how you prefer to have your women dressed when they come to your bed? With **this**?!" The Queen snapped, showing him the underwear she was forced to accept. He didn't take as much as a mere second look at what she was holding up for him when he turned his head away again angrily.

"I prefer them to wear **nothing**, if they are really headed towards my bed." He seethed through his clenched teeth and the woman mocked disbelief with raising her thin eye brows.

"Really?" She continued with her act looking at the garment herself again. "I could've never imagined." She finally saw a bra. Her bra, to be exact. The frown reappeared on her face as she took it. Someone had touched her stuff from the ship. That someone was to pay dearly for that. But meanwhile, she might as well as get herself something to wear before she caught a cold.

"Why are you still naked?" He snapped sharply at her in a demanding way. She threw a bored glance at him, noting he was still glaring daggers at the window.

"Does that bother you?" Silence. "It does?" More silence. "Than that's the way I'll always 'carry myself around'. Seems like fun to piss you off."

"Your insolence has no boundaries, now hasn't it?" Was his short answer to her blatant words. She smirked mockingly at him.

"Last time I was like this in front of you, you didn't seemed to be very bothered by that fact." She stated and put her panties on, slightly bending herself by her waist as she did so. He unconsciously let his eye go to the corner as to steal a small glimpse at her. He quickly cursed under his breath and kept his look away.

"Situation has changed since then."

"And how come that?" A light clipping sound could be heard as she clasped her bra behind her back, bending over for the skirt.

He didn't answer immediatelly. His glare seemed to soften and turn more of a look of... regret? Pain? Ha! Vegeta and emotions! Nice one. She snorted under her breath as she put her peignoir on. She was not in the mood for this topic...

"We both changed since then. Realized things that changed the situation by its roots."

"And what did you realize, Vegeta?" She hissed between her clenched teeth as she moved closer to the window and looked down from it, seeing the guards at the front gate of the palace, on both their posts restless. She frowned again. Saiya-jins. How much she hated Saiya-jins right now was not possible to describe with words. She hated a whole race because of their leader. The irony. She guessed their race hated hers because of her too, and the connection she had with their leader. As if she cared.

He fell in silence once again, only serving to further enrage the angry woman by his silky curtains. Was everything around him so soft, she suddenly wondered.

"I am a King now, have a lot of things on my head and I do not have time for silly weakling business." He explained as-a-matter-of-fact-ly. She glared coldly at him. How could he possibly say such a thing. "Not to mention a race to take care of--"

"Here we go again with the precious little race!" She exclaimed as her anger took the best of her. It was the young man's turn to glare at her and stand immediatelly up from the bed as if burnt and advancing towards her.

"Yes, my 'precious little race', woman! What did you expect me to do? You revived it! Not me. What did you expect me to do about it? Not come back because of you!? Stay on your dear little mudball of a planet!? What!?!" Vegeta snapped sharply at her bending his head slightly over so he could yell at her more efficiently. She glared back and looked away, letting her hair hit his face a little at the sharp turn her scalp had taken.

"No!" She hissed but didn't answer. It was none of his business in the first place. With an annoyed sigh, the former Prince sat back on his bed, still having his look pinned to her back turned to him. He began massaging his temples in an attempt to ease the pain in them yet to no avail. All he managed to do was strengthen it. He growled and rolled on his back on the bed. This was going to be a long night...

"Well, if that's all you have to tell me, I'll be going now." His head snapped up as well as his whole upper body as he looked dangerously at her advancing form towards the door that led out of his room. He jumped up and blocked her way before she could reach it.

"Just where do you think you're going?" He hissed at her and tried to push her back slowly, but she refused to move. She still had some of her power left, he noted with a mental smirk. After all, she had not changed completely.

"I'm going to see my friends, what else!?"

"No, you aren't." He assured her. A frown took upon her face again.

"Vegeta, get out of my way." She ordered sternly.

"No." He answered just as firmly. Both of them stood by the door for a minute or so in silence.

"**Vegeta**... **Move**! **Now**!" She emphasized on each single word. To no avail, as could be expected. The Saiya-jin didn't move an inch.

"You aren't going anywhere." He assured her again. The woman tightened her jaw and balled her small fists.

"Why are you trying to be the ass you are?!" She finally let go of it, almost hitting him against the built chest with her wrist.

"You are not going to leave this room, until I say you may. And that is not going to happen, so you better just let go of it, because the only thing you're going to achieve is getting yourself tired." He added then turned around and shot something at the door with his index and middle finger sticking out of his balled fist, after which he made his way back to bed.

She saw her chance and grasped the locks but let go just as fast with a shriek of pain as an intense heat burned the sensitive skin of her hands. She looked at her shaking upper limbs and noted that she didn't get her skin really burnt, it was just red where she had touched the thing, whatever it was. Bulma looked at the locks carefully and found them braced by yellow energy rings, which sight made her blood only boil. She snapped her head sharply at the man on the bed and strode over to him.

"Why?" She demanded. "Why won't you let me out of here!? Am I that much of a thorn in your eye that you can't even let me walk around your Palace?" She yelled every single word as she was losing her patience ever the more.

"I won't walk around after you just to make sure you're out of trouble, woman. I do not plan on saving your ass every time." He informed her casually and continued staring motionlessly at the ceiling that seemed to collect all of his attention currently.

"I do not need you 'saving my ass'. I think I'm big enough to take care of myself." She said haughtily.

"Oh?" He asked disbelievingly. "Like you were fine with saving yourself with that imbecile?" She looked at the floor, angry at the remembrance of her weakness back then. "Who are you trying to fool, woman? You are no longer as strong as you were, and you are certainly no match for my servants around, so I suggest you--"

"You're the Lord around here? I find it hard to believe you can do nothing to quell your raging monkeys." She seethed. He looked weirdly at her. Then pinned his look back at the ceiling.

"That I won't do." He informed her.

"Why not?" She asked.

"You'll be in a worse situation if I do that." She tried to ignore the alarm that went on in her head that he might be concerned about her for unselfish reasons as she continued her interrogation.

"And how could that possibly happen?" That woman was beginning to seriously dance on his nerves.

"Can you even begin to imagine how powerful can my enemies be?"

"I thought you were the Ultimate Being, you have no one to fear." She recited. "Or maybe there is now someone to compete your power, your Majesty?"

"You'll get yourself killed if spread the rumor of you being 'my mate'."

"I do not ask of you to claim I am your mate. I just want you to--"

"I understand what you want." He hissed, hating to be cut by her. "Yet the fact of my protectiveness over you will mean you are my mate. A Saiya-jin only protects what is his." Bulma sighed. Saiya-jins and their animalistic ways. She doubted most of them could even pronounce 'care'.

"Fine." She dropped off and climbed the bed and let herself rest on the pillow with her back facing him. "Don't then."

"I never said I would even consider it."

"Don't then." She repeated angrily again. After a few minutes of silence she supported herself on her elbows as she had turned to him. "Do I have to sleep in the same bed as you? Why do I even have to be here, anyway?"

"Do you prefer to be in the room of any of my subjects? I'm sure they would take that as a generous gift from their King. Besides the fact it might make them too proud of themselves, I might as well as do it." He threatened her.

"Then do it, what are you waiting for!?" She snapped, turning her back to him again.

"You should be thankful you're still alive, woman, as unbelievable as it is to me."

"If you're so anxious to see me dead, just go ahead and kill me. Pull me out of my misery."

Silence. A long silence. Tension filled the air and made it weight more than it ever did before. Vegeta didn't know what to answer to that. It seemed not like a dare, but a wish... And that was what stung him the most. She, in turn, didn't have anything left to say to him. It was useless trying to get out. She didn't want to have her hands burnt.

It was useless demanding why she wanted to die. The answer was clear to him. As a day. She had no one. He was keeping her away from what little friends she had left in this world. He had nothing to have her entertained. Let alone he wouldn't lower himself more as to take something for her to find entertainment in. The best he could do for her was to lock her in this room and keep her inside so she wouldn't get herself raped or killed in a very painful way...

For the rest of the night, neither said a thing. Not a word left both their mouths. Each of them turned their back to the other, having a long time to thing whatever was on their mind over and over again...

Bulma sighed in exhaustion... The was falling so fast in this vast abyss called her consciousness...

x.x.x.x.x.x

The days passed by so slowly for the lavender haired woman. Her hair had quite grown. Her fringe was getting in her sight, her hair reached down to her lower waist and she had a hard time keeping her hair in a good condition with no hair brush at all. Do not ask how she did it... It was not a pleasant topic for her pride... Yet as a woman her vanity refused her to live with herself if herself if her hair resembled Goku's. And every time she thought that her face got twised in a deep frown. Her friends... The people that she hadn't seen for what, two weeks? More? How did she manage to live at all for so long completely isolated?

She sighed and continued to run her fingers between her long lavender tresses. There was nothing she could do about it...

x.x.x.x.x.x

A month had dragged itself by since Vegeta got the woman in his room. The situation had turned more than just disturbing...

She was no longer commenting anything. She no longer snapped harsh or sarcastic remarks of what he looked like, how he felt like by the expression of his face, neither how loyal his 'barbarian' subjects were to him. She rarely spoke at all. And she never exchainged one with him. She laid with her limbs sprawled all over the bed yet when she heard him coming in she collected them to herself and pulled her feet closer to her body, one over another with her eyes pinned to the nearest wall or the ceiling.

She didn't fall asleep before early hours of the morning and when she did, she had a restless sleep as she seemed to have her subconsciousness agonizing more than she let herself tell.

Vegeta had even talked to Ariane. The weak little female had advised him to give the woman some room to breathe, to let her out, take her to the palace's gardens as they were beautiful enough for a sight to make the woman's heart flutter again. He, yet again, refused to do such a thing, trying to assure her he had already done enough by lowering himself enough as to accept the earthling in his personal chambers and didn't let any other woman join him in the mean time, claiming he was 'suppressing his needs'.

The girl had only shaken her head and continued her work in the kitchen alongside with ChiChi who had trouble with a big caldron of thick suspicious soup that 'slightly' overpowered her. Not to mention, that got Vegeta quite mad and he didn't speak to her until this day.

x.x.x.x.x

One day the woman had completely thrown him in shock... Let us see what exactly happened that day...

The doors to the Throne room opened widely only to be closed just as fast a couple of seconds later, having the ruler look up from the table in front of him as he was attending a really important meeting about the mission he had sent half of his best crew when he noticed the long lavender tresses of a certain survived earthling. His eyes widened ever so lightly as he watched her stoll over to the beginning of the long table and put a halt to her movements as she reached it. Her face was unreadable. Expressionless, cold, distant... Her eyes were no longer shimmering with emotions... She seemed to be ever so cold inside... Dead...

"How did you get out?" He inquired. She didn't answer as she looked at the ground motionlessly, yet taking a secret glimpse at her unclenched palms. He did as well and noticed the ever so invisible blood drops fall from both her wrists. She broke the rings!? How on Vegeta-sei was that possible!? She didn't possess the physical power to do that!

"I am here to make a request to Your Majesty." He saw how she clenched her fists making her deafen her wince at the pain it probably inflicted to her weak human body. It probably took her all those weeks to get herself to walk over her own pride enough as to do this, in front of so many Saiya-jins.

"Well?" Vegeta turned his full attention to her. She gulped slowly and raised her eyes to lock her gaze with his.

"I ask of permission to go to the ship I have arrived on this planet by."

"What business with it might you have?" He inquired again. She swallowed again, once again clenching and unclenching her fists as fast, having a couple of crimson drops hit against the marble floor of the Throne room.

"Today is the anniversary of my mother's birthday. I wish to collect the materials from the room I possess on the ship for a sentimental ritual of my planet, Your Majesty." The room echoed with chuckles released by the Saiya-jins that inhabited it. They knew such a request had no option for gratification. How could their leader be sure she wouldn't try to bewitch him with some magic of any sort?

Vegeta stood completely still, his breathing and thinking the only proceeding processes. He could deny her that wish and make her a laughing stalk to all of his subjects present. It was the most common thing for him to do. But looking at her face made it impossible for him to do that. Hell, she almost slit her palms in two just to get out of his lock! He sharply turned his head to the guard behind him and mentioned to him to come closer.

"Toryu." He demanded. The man saluted and stood stiff by his commander, bending by his waist so he would hear the request of the sitting King. "Take this woman to the Third Dock and take whatever she claims she wishes to have. Show her the way to my quarters after that. Before you return her back to the room, take her to the new nurse in the medical wing to mend her wounds and remember one thing..." He lowered his voice so no one else heard his following words. "Just touch her once even with your filthy finger, and I will break it in millions of tiny pieces, along with every single bone in your body. Am I clear?"

The male nodded desperately. A smirk curved one of the corners of Vegeta's mouth up.

"Very well. Now leave before I change my mind." He directed his words to the bowing woman. She turned around on her heel, following the broad shouldered dark-brown haired Saiya-jin that was going to collect her stuff for her.

The throne room stood in a long silence before Vegeta snapped at all of the present warriors,

"What the fuck are you waiting for!? Back to work, worms!!"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Bulma continued writing in her diary despite the burning pain in her whole right palm. She heard the door click open and she glanced up for a moment only to confirm Vegeta had come back and she quickly turned her attention back to the little book.

The matress bent a little as a certain amount of weight dropped onto it tiredly. A sigh followed suit, escaping the Saiya-jin King's parted lips.

"I made it clear to every single one of those 'barbarians' that you are something none of them shall touch. You are free to go wherever you like. If you find yourself endangered, tell the nearest guard or anyone more powerful than yourself about it and that you are the former Queen of the planet Earth and they will get the hint immediatelly. If it is something none of them can handle, find a way to release enough amount of energy to collect my attention and I will come personally." He suddenly spoke, grabbing her attention completely. "I think it's needless for me to say you shouldn't get too far away from the Palace. Anyone else outside this place will not tolerate your attitude, nor the fact that you have been a Queen of an advanced race they never respected." He added. She turned her gaze back to her book.

He sighed in annoyance and turned to the side on his part of the bed.

After some time of another tense silence when he had nothing left to say, a deaf pair of words could be barely recognized as it left the soft lips of the female beside him,

"Thank you..."

'Whatever' was not much of a comeback in such a situation, he wasn't in the mood of screwing with her around. 'You're welcome' was never an option for him. So he decided to act smart and remain silent.

'For the better.' They simulatenously thought.

x.x.x.x.x.x

In the middle of the night Bulma still had those nightmares. He glanced over his shoulder at her sleeping form that seemed to be in pain. He sighed. Well, there was nothing he could do about it... It was something she had to deal herself about...

Then the onyx eyes grew wide. What he felt he couldn't believe. For the first time for a month and something, her arms entangled around his waist as she pulled closer to him under the soft sheets, collecting some of his warmth. Was that the real 'thank you' for the room he had left her to breathe?

True, he did that... But what would it cost her?...

He clenched his eyes shut as different scenarios played in an instant through his mind. He didn't turn around to hug her back, neither did he perform any action to push her back. How could he do such a thing? On the other hand, how could he not? It was becoming ever the more confusing before he finally gave up on his thoughts that raced in his head, deciding that he would have to deal with himself tomorrow. Today had been a long day... A long and tiresome day...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! This is my gift to every single one of you that has supported me up until now and to everyone that is reading this fic at all but doesn't review! I love all of you and you know it, but I'm just making sure you don't forget it! Lol. I want to place here a little 'thank you' to my mom, thanks to whom I got Bulma dressed in the beginning of the chapter, for I have no idea about this skirt/dress business... -.- So, do you like your gift? You could make **me** a gift by reviewing. It's not really hard, you just type some words into a little box then you push the 'submit review' button! Lol. Nah, just kidding, review if you like, don't if you don't._

_Remember, reviews are a huge driving force to me and even bigger inspiration! It will trigger the faster writing of the next chapter and, plus, you'll know you have been the reason for it!_


	9. Ch09: The Light

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Nine: The Light In the Dark Tunnel_

The next morning Bulma woke up in an empty bed. She huffed and pushed her feet over the edge of the huge comfy bed. With a loud groan she dragged herself to the bathroom, letting her baby blue night gown fall to the ground as she stepped out of it. She reached for the door handle and hissed in pain, remembering why she happened to get her approval to roam around aimlessly. It was quite a price to pay, but it was all worth it in the end...

Shrugging the thought off her mind, the female decided she would take her time to examine the Palace as she had intended at first yet had no permission to. Somewhere along the lines she made herself sure to find ChiChi and Goku. She needed to talk to a friend desperately.

The lavender haired woman sighed as the hot water flowed down her pale cold skin. She had really needed that one...

x.x.x.x.x.x

After the refreshing shower, Bulma made her way towards the kitchen. She watched from the corner of her eye how every single guard watched her carefully without moving their heads her way. It made her feel… filthy. And low. And so different from all of them. And definitely not "different" in the good way of saying it…

If she had to be honest, she felt as if the gown she had been given to roam around the castle with felt torn apart by their predatory eyes rather roughly by the way the Saiya-jin guards stared, throwing daggers her way, as if trying to hint her just by their gazes that she was not wanted, she was something that just got in their way and the way of their leader. What was their fucking problem? She never did anything to the Saiya-jin race, did she? Not to mention that she was the one to revive them. Speaking of gratefulness…

Shaking her head, the fragile female made her way towards her destination, trying not to pay any attention to the creatures that seemed to hate her guts. Well, that was their problem, not hers, right?

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"What do you mean they haven't found anything? How is that possible?" The Saiya-jin King hit the table he had been sitting in front of rather roughly and brought it down in the blink of an eye. His rage was growing uncontrollable. His present subjects swallowed hard and each took a mental note to mind what they were saying and the way they were going to say it.

"All that is left of the planet is ruins, master… They have not found any trace of the -"

"**I heard the fucking report, you imbecile!**" The regal bellowed at the other man who let his head face the ground. Taking a deep breath in, Vegeta made his way towards his throne at the back of the room. With a heavy sigh, he let his train of thought trail off towards the indefinite future… What if his planet followed Earth's lead? What if he didn't manage to stop the bastards before they have reached his newly revived home only to send it back down the shitter? Growling lowly, the short man threw himself back to his feet and made his way for the training ground. He'd be damned if he let that **ever** happening again.

"Sire?"

"What?" He snapped, whipping his head back at the direction where the voice came for. The pathetic creature cowered at the volume his voice had reached. With a glare he made clear he wasn't ready to wait for another second for the weakling to recover.

"What should we say to the crew?"

"Tell those weaklings to come back." He said and turned back around on his heel. "We have things to settle…" A malicious grin graced the Saiya-jin no Ou's face. The subjects swallowed with dry throats and did as told, not letting any thoughts of what a painful death awaited their comrade.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Bulma slammed the door to the King's chambers shot, her eyes wide in shock and her nerves wrecked to the point of absolute madness. She needed to know that it was all just a bad dream… All of this… This idiocy! She was a queen! She wanted to be treated as such! By her _own_ subjects, not some pathetic Saiya-jin scum!

She breathed a heavy breath. No… Even he… Even Vegeta could not be so atrocious… He couldn't possibly be as monstrous, could he? Was it his order?

During her little trip around the Palace, Bulma had penetrated the deepest places in it. She had seen almost… almost everything. Every single drop of secret was revealed before her as she passed down the corridors, scurrying around and examining the whole place for months.

How long was it since her planet had been destroyed? Thank God for her diary. It was the only way to keep track of time as she did not have any watch or clock on the bedside, whatsoever. Nowadays Vegeta had become even more restless, violent and bad tempered. He got in constant arguments with her that he usually lost, which only pushed him further over the edge of sanity. There was something really bothering him, she could tell. She just wondered whether she cared or not. She decided on the latter.

The woman crawled into a little ball on the floor as she stared out the huge window with eyes as wide as saucers and a psychotic look covering her face. She winced and her arms flew to her ears, trying to deafen the screams and cries that resounded in her head. _No! Stop that_! She screamed mentally. She didn't want to see any of it anymore. She could do nothing. Of what use was that information for her?

She had seen it… The monstrosity… The pain and agony of the writhing slaves that begged for mercy… Enemies of the Empire caught and slaughtered down in the dungeons, their flesh barely hanging on their crushed bones as they were pinned with heavy chains to the walls while Saiya-jin hangmen whipped their rotten bodies with scourges like iron. What have they done to deserve that? Did even the worst villain deserve such painful and disgraceful death!

But it was not the fact that such things were happening that had scared Bulma… It was the thought that had plagued her head ever since she had arrived. She wondered how much her lover had changed for all this time. How much _did_ he change? She knew for certain that back on Earth, those five years ago, he would not tolerate such behaviour, for the only exception of Freeza, perhaps.

Yet now… Every single of his enemies was dragged down to the Hell of this accursed castle, built on the grief and sorrow of other, defenseless, races that were slaughtered mercilessly for the wellbeing of this Empire… An Empire that she learnt was supposed to stay dead for good, yet she so thoughtlessly had invited back to the living, only to serve the whole Universe's demise.

She had believed in Vegeta she knew. She still believed in him. But she wondered whether this creature that had taken over the Saiya-jin heritage was still the Vegeta she knew… He was egoistical, egocentric, self-conceited and arrogant, but she _knew_ that she showed him what emotions were… And he had accepted her, if even for a year… He had been with her and had let her taste of true passion for life…and now of death too…

Bulma was not one to be paranoid… but she couldn't help but wonder what was to happen of her if she was disobedient and stood up for herself… Would he throw her back to the hangmen? Would he personally torture her to death, raping her untainted corpse?

The lavender haired woman collapsed against the floor, letting her tears of panic flow. What had she done to deserve this place? Was her crime so unforgivable!

x.x.x.x.x.x

Vegeta stormed out of the throne room and made his way to his chambers, finding himself in a desperate need to get away from those fools or otherwise the thought of sending them to oblivion might become too tempting to resist.

Their incompetence was far beyond the acceptable levels. Whenever he needed to do something _right_, he always had do to it himself. He didn't know why they were so…clumsy around him, as stupid as the word sounded in the case. Was the fact he scared them to death? Well, they should be afraid of him, his mind reasoned. He did not know, nor did he care, why they were so worthless. He needed proper staff and crew to work for him!

As he pushed the door to his chambers widely open, something hit against it and it winced. The Saiya-jin King raised an eye brow forgetting completely what he had been ranting in his thought about until he had entered as he spotted the woman on the floor, crawled into a little ball. She had obviously cried herself to sleep that had overtaken her of exhaustion, judging by how red and swollen her eyes were.

The man sighed and closed the door carefully on to wake her after he had already done enough damage as he hit her with the door. How could he know she had been there? Why was she there in the first place, eh? He shook his head at the stupidity and foolishness of this creature.

Doubling over, he snatched her in his arms and took her to the bed, putting her under the soft covers that pressed lightly against her warm body. He looked at her closely. Oh, how long it had been since the last time he could freely let his eyes roam over her features, so pure, so angelic… While his were foul and demonic… Her light skin, almost to the point of paleness, contrasted violently with his dark tanned one.

He pondered back what actually drove him to this creature. They were incompatible, not only different, or even opposite. Opposites attract, they say. But how could such an incongruous union such as theirs last more than it did? It was sweet, but bitter as well… It was a two-sided blade. And either one of them got hurt, no matter how it struck.

Vegeta remembered how passionately he had taken her, five years ago… He had let her taste the last of his half-devoured heart… He had not yet given himself in to all of the pain and hatred from his past… because he had her. And he secretly hoped he could keep her by his side, so she would have all his purity that was left…

But he had been foolish to develop anything for the young princess. She had been nothing more than just a tool to get his revenge back and reach his goal - turn Super Saiya-jin and avenge his race. The fact that he got his kingdom and people back were just an additional extra to all that he had suffered to achieve his purpose.

The man with sharp dark features shook his head in dejection. He would never again let himself fall victim to her, no matter how pretty and seducing she appeared to his shattering soul… It was too late for him. He knew that well. And even though he claimed he cared none about her, he didn't want to drag her down with himself.

With an angry mental slap, he pushed himself back to his feet, leaving the woman to rest her head down a bit as he made his way for the training grounds. He was going to make sure he beat the shit out of himself for his foul thoughts.

x.x.x.x.x.x

A few hours later, Bulma awoke with a throbbing headache and a sore neck. She noticed her surroundings and still could not recall getting up on the bed as the memories came flooding her head. She decided to shrug it off and she reached out for her diary, reading the last few things she had written yesterday. She had what to share with herself.

x.x.x.x.x.x

Vegeta kicked and punched his own shadow in the Gravity chamber that he gave his scientist the basic design of to have them create a few for him. He tried to make tactics and strategies for the survival of his Empire, but he could not bring himself to think of something else than _her_. She was all that his mind revolved around…

Her touch, her scent, her voice when she was screaming, yet not in anger… Those few months ago… When he let her do as she pleased… When she cuddled to him… He felt it again. That strange tugging feeling when she clutched to him. A feeling that urged him and a voice that yelled in his ear, 'protect!' How could he resist to her soft flesh caressing his own? How could he resist her sweet coaxing voice that spoke lightly sweet words to him?

With a raw growl, he Saiya-jin sent a blast towards a training drone, which reflected it and - caught in a moment of weakness - the Saiya-jin was hit down on his knees. He collapsed hard against the floor, looking with disbelief down at his hands that were supporting his upper body. Before he could get his composure back, another blast reflected from the second drone and burned his back badly.

That did it for reaching a boiling point…

The flame-haired alien let out a bellow of a strange mixture between rage and pain as Super Saiya-jin was still quite an energy-demanding transformation. The ground shook beneath him and the drones were turned to dust as the wave of raw power rushed over them. The red light of the gravity chamber was deafened by the golden light that bathed the whole premise.

Collapsing in exhaustion, Vegeta watched as the sweat from his brow collided with the cold floor and left droplets that resembled the Earth rain… Why was he remembering all of this? What good was it to him? Earth was gone… For a long time. So why bother himself with it? He did not know the answer to that… But he knew he needed to get the woman out of his thoughts.

Getting back up to his solid feet, he went to pay a visit to a 'friend' of his…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The waist-long auburn hair of the semi-short girl swung around as she heard the sliding door to her working room open to reveal her lord. She smiled brightly at him and went to him.

"Sire! What brings you here?" She asked in pure adoration. Her Lord was a person who rarely trusted anyone, dare she say no one at all, yet he submitted his wounded body to her every time after training.

"The damned robots caught me off-guard." He growled out and turned his back to her as he sat on the med bed waiting for her to do her magic over his damaged side. "I made them pay for all that they were worth." A malicious smirk crossed his face in a flash.

"Sire, you should be more considerate about your servants. You want them to work well and be productive when you let them have little time for new researches and other things besides repairing your training drones…" Ariane said with a heavy sigh. Vegeta quirked an eye brow at her.

"What are you implying?" He asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, your Majesty. I just thought I could share my opinion." The innocent-looking maid replied, dipping the cotton ball in the cleaning liquid.

When she was done with his burnt side, he pulled her closer to himself and looked at her from a very close promixity. The girl swallowed hard as his mouth trailed down to her neck, placing random kisses here and there.

"What are you doing, sire?..." She asked, her voice shaky and uncertain, but most of all afraid.

"You know well enough what I am doing, Ariane..." He spoke softly, letting her name roll off his tongue unceremoniously. She swallowed again dryly. "You should feel honoured that your master needs you so badly, servant girl..." The emerald-eyed human-alike creature pushed the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. She knew what this was about. But was she ready to push him back, with all the power she possessed, and probably earn a punishment that would cost her her life?

"Why do you deceive yourself so, Majesty?" She spoke softly, her trembling voice snapping Vegeta out of his trance and thirst for feminine flesh. He needed a release. And he needed it badly. Now. But her voice of reason seemed to do wonders as it stopped him on his pursue.

"Deceive? Who am I deceiving? What makes you think I'm trying to deceive myself?"

"I _know_ you are, sire..." She paused to swallow some more tears down her dried sore throat again. The action was beginning to hurt her. "It is not me who you are so willing to have." She laid out for him. His expression shifted from the one of confusion that was on his face to one of realization at what she was referring and finally into anger and rage, the feelings that seemed to reign forever in his complex being.

"How _dare_ you reject _me_! You are _nothing_ to this planet and to me! I may do whatever I want to you! You have _no right_ to object whatsoever! Now shut up, or-"

"You are still deceiving yourself, sire..." The girl spoke softly, as another fit hit her. He thought so little of her? She couldn't believe it... She refused to buy it, but even if she did, that was not her main purpose. "If you do as you wish with me, so be it. I am not standing in your way of any kind... But think about yourself first... Is _this_ what you want?" She pointed at herself. Vegeta let out a low growl and pushed her away.

"I shall deal with your insolence later... Go back to work, bitch." He hissed at her as he brushed past her. Before he exited, he heard her say,

"Today is her Majesty's birthday, sire. Please follow my advice and what your heart says..." She yelled after him and went back to her work.

Vegeta snorted as the sliding door closed behind him. Her birthday...? He had completely forgotten about it... He shrugged the topic off without remorse, but then again if that was true, what was with the pangs of conscience that were threatening to invade his being?

x.x.x.x.x.x

As he left the chambers he shared with the enigmatic human, Vegeta let a smirk cross his features. He had left the woman something to waste her time with until he found out what its real purpose was. His smirk was quick to falter, however. He still had work to do with those imbeciles. He had spent most of his day slacking. With a heavy sigh, he collected all of his patience and left for the command room.

x.x.x.x.x.x

When Bulma came back from the balcony she had been staring out of for the last half an hour, she noticed that there was a strange object that strangely reminded her of a pocket mirror on her side of the bed. She quirked a delicate eye brow and went over to examine it with open interest.

She flicked the thing between her fingers and studied it closely but she still couldn't find a way to open it. She sweat dropped and a faint hint of red crossed her cheeks when she remembered who she was, or more who she had been, and tried to pull it open with a little force, as not to crush the fragile thing.

When it eventually opened, it revealed its little secret to her. Upon further observation, it proved to be some mini-super computer of some sort. She still had problems with opening its contents, however, as it was protected by some stupid password she could not break! Stupid Vegeta! She knew this was _his_ doing! Why was he torturing her like that?

She had already tried the "Queen", "Princess", "Human", "Earth"... But none of it was correct. She also tried a few words connected with him - "King", "Saiya-jin", "Prince", "Arrogance", "Power". Still nothing! She was beginning to lose all hope and patience with this thing when she remembered. The Dragon Balls! That was what revived his race! Maybe that was the key! She typed the letter ecstatically, only to have the blinking message "Unmatching Password! Access Denied!" Darn that thing to Hell and even after it! And him along the ride!

"What else could it be?" She wondered out loud. What was the Dragon's name again? Shenlong?

'Password Matched. Access Approved.'

Bulma's jaw dropped to the floor when she noticed what was hidden beyond the 'gates' to the little computer. Saiya-jins probably possessed a quite different way of storing information as there were tons of files and information on this tiny thing. It held everything that had to do with the Saiyan development.

She knew better than to try to use this against him. After all, it was him who gave it to her. She shook her head, wondering whether he was aware today had been her birthday. Maybe keeping out of her way was what his true present was.

x.x.x.x.x.x

Bulma had made her way towards where was pointed at the file recorded on the small desctop of her active-screen little computer. She read another one before it that told her she was to quit just laying around doing nothing the whole day and that she was hired as an assistant to the main scientist in the research laboratories. Of course, 'hired' is a word too strong for someone who doesn't get paid for all day hard work. But Bulma was content with what she got. She had dreamt forever of having such a machinery in her hand and now she did. She had a partial freedom and she hadn't seen Vegeta's mug the whole day. What else could she possibly ask for?

As she entered what looked exactly like a maze, she found out that everyone was expecting her. It was quite a surprise how civilized those Saiya-jins were. Unalike their brothers-in-arms back up there.

"Miss Bulma, I presume?" An old Saiya-jin with balding head and swishing faintly brown tale extended an arm for her to take. She obliged and still eyed the stranger suspiciously. "Excuse my rudeness. I am Mikhail, head scientist of this department. We are very pleased to have such brilliant scientist as a colleague." The Saiya-jin bowed a little.

"Um... Thanks..." She said dumbly, slapping herself mentally. Thanks? Was that all she could think of? She bashed herself in her head, but she had little time to do that as the gentleman on her front started again.

"You work place is going to be over there." He pointed to a wide desk. "You'll find all of the information you might need on the computer you are holding in your right hand." He informed her and with a light bow that she returned he resumed whatever he had been doing before she arrived. Everyone began talking ecstatically behind her and she preferred to act as if she didn't hear them.

As she appraoched her new work place, she noticed that there was a dark box that looked like a cage on the front. She let her eyes narrow in anger, wondering why would someone place a caged animal on her desk. The lavender haired woman reached out to free whatever was held in the small cage when it shook, making her hand pull back.

Composing herself, she took a braver assault and freed a small... creature. It had sharp big pointy ears. Its tail reminded her of an earthly fox. It also looked like one. Yet its fangs were sharper and longer and appeared like a vampire's, sticking out of the fuzzy creature's little muzzle. It seemed that it was not quite old. Its paws looked like a cub's. All in all, it was a cute and cuddly-looking thing. She smiled and reached out for it, but it growled at her with its fur standing up on its back and its huge tail erecting in the air.

Bulma noticed that hidden in the being's fur hung a pendant. She slowly reached for it, trying not to challenge the little anime-warrior. She looked at what her hand had grabbed and her eyes widened slightly. It was her necklace, the one Vegeta gave to her on Earth, for her birthday. Tears welled up in her eyes at the remembrace. The thing in front of her eased when it noticed that the female in front of it was upset. It tried to brush against her, but she pulled away, storming off towards a very particular place in the castle she spent most of her time in.

x.x.x.x.x

Just as Bulma entered, the King was changing into something more comfortable. The creature was right on her tail, running around with pure enthusiasm and joy. It seemed to like the woman. He smirked at that and looked back to her.

"I see you found the argida."

"Why!" She demanded as she slammed the door shut. Vegeta raised an eye brow at her.

"Why what?" He asked out loud.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She yelled louder, failing to pull the tears back in her eyes. Her outburst startled the Saiya-jin to no end. And there he thought he had done something right...

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He said with annoyance, sitting on his bed. He was drained. It had been quite a shitty day for him...

"This!" She pointed at the creature that was playing with the curtain. "And the device! Why! _Why_?" She demanded again.

"You're lazying around here the whole day. You should sit up your ass and do something. Besides, you could prove quite useful for my race." He grinned maliciously. "And the young beast I left for you since I was sure you were going to bitch about not seeing your friends that have been sent off to the country on duty." He shrugged.

"If you wanted me to 'sit up my ass', why did you provide _all_ of the technical information of your Empire? If you knew I'd bitch, what do you care? You can always leave, slamming the door behind you. Isn't that what you _always_ do?" She yelled through tears. Her voice was solid, but only when the volume of it was raised.

"What the fuck is _your_ problem, woman? Why are you questioning me? What's it to you? I do whatever I wish to!"

"You're playing with my feelings _again_, Vegeta, _that's what it is to me_!" She bellowed. "I have _feelings_, unlike _you_!" She continued to scream for her life's worth.

"And just how am I playing with your so precious feelings, eh?" He asked her in a snort. She brushed her tears angrily away.

"You actually make me believe you might be _capable_ of still caring about me. Why are you doing this to me? Why are you still pushing me to the edge of sanity!"

The lavender haired former Queen had been suffering horrible nightmares last days. She had thought about him, all the time. He was haunting her life again... Her days, her consciousness... Everything. He was taking over again... He was taking his toll on her... And his fake kindness towards her wasn't going to help her. She hated him for doing this to her fragile being... She hated herself for wanting him so bad, for agonizing in need for him. She could never allow herself to give in again, could she? Then why was he doing that to her? Why was he making her believe he cared, even just a little?

"I am not pushing anything, woman. Besides, I am not in the mood for your screeching. Go and bug someone else." He said with a dismissive wave. Her words had touched a spot. Was it really what he showed by those small insignificant gifts of his? Maybe he should stop making them?... But... He wanted to... Just for a second... Again... A faint touch... A single brush...

"What do you want from me, Vegeta? Tell me! I want to know! What's your fucking problem with me?" She stood proudly in front of him. The same fire burning in her eyes. Oh, how she wanted her. He felt as if screaming in her face, 'You! That's what I want!' but, as you can assume yourself, that was not quite the correct comeback at such a time.

"You're getting truly annoying and you're already dancing on my thin nerves. I advice you to leave before you got me any madder than I already am because of those incoherent fools I am forced to work with..."

"I can see it in your eyes, Vegeta." She informed him calmly now. "The same need burns in them just like those five years ago... The same need that you are trying to enforce on me..."

"The fact you are weak does not mean I had to 'enforce', as you said it, anything on you. It is your own fault you have surrendered yourself to me so unceremoniously. And don't try on applying the same for me, woman, because you know it isn't true, as much as you may like it to be otherwise." He showed her his white teeth as he hissed at her and turned around on his heel.

"Then why do you avoid looking at me?" She countered him. He turned back around and glared daggers at her. But she had taken a few steps closer to him and was now right in front of him, their chests touching. A drop of sweat slid down his face. "Look at me and tell me you don't want me. Look at me and deny everything that has happened between us in the past." She dared him.

"You have used the keyword, woman. _Past_. That's all it is. The present is very different, altered. You can have what you have long since lost." He said sternly as well, using all of the will-power that was left in his body.

"Fine then." She reached out for his bare neck with her hands slowly. Vegeta pulled back, as if a jolt ran through him at the contact.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He snapped at her. A sly smirk crossed the woman's face as she leaned in again.

"If past is all what happened between us to you, reject me then, just like you reject your past." Bulma said as she leaned in to capture his sealed lips. He refused to let her overtake him and his senses. No, he was stronger than that. But his soul... It was crying... Weeping... 'Surrender', it whispered in his ear. Oh, how he longed to, but did not dare to. He pushed her back roughly, but she stood up again and walked around him, hugging him by the waist from behind, licking his earlobe passionately.

"Stop..." He muttered weakly, mentally kicking himself for being so vulnerable to her. The beast in him raged to push her back, break her neck, twist her spine and make her beg for mercy for performing such an invasive act against the King of All Saiya-jins, the mightiest race in the Universe. But he couldn't. He stood there, stoned, not knowing how to react as his mind was still engaged in a gruesome battle.

"You don't sound really convincing." Her hands slid up his abdoment and to his chest, slowly massaging his muscular body. Oh, how she missed this... His warmth, his masculine scent near hers... She needed him... Just as he needed her.

Vegeta squeezed his eyes shut. He had been neglecting himself for five whole years... Whenever he started pondering about the woman, he would go and beat all of the silly thoughts out of himself. He was conquering and causing grief all over the Unvierse...because of the grief that wrecked his heart. He never knew love or devotion before this creature behind him fell in love with _him_ and he developed a strong feeling of devotion for her. But his instincts did not let him enjoy his night with her completely. He wanted her badly in this same instant as well... but he dared not let himself take her, as things were just going to get complicated ever the more.

'What do you care?' A voice in his head called. 'Take her. She's the one who's offering herself. All you did was concur.'

However, taking her would mean much more than just getting sexual release. She would know his weakness for her, that he was unable to deny her anything... That was a way too strong card. He wasn't going to let her have it. Yes, that was correct! He was going to win over her! He would be the victor in this battle! As he always was.

The thoughts continued to race through Vegeta's head mercilessly, beating all of the sanity out of him, while his hands roamed over the woman pinned beneath him, moaning loudly in desire as his body brushed against hers and his mouth trailed hungry kisses down her exposed flesh while both their clothes were slowly disappearing from their bodies...

Neither realized at the time just how much further the whole situation had screwed up for the two of them...


	10. Ch10: Worlds Shattering

_A/N: Now, I should start this chapter by saying that I noticed what my mistake with this story was. And I wish to say sorry to all of you, devoted fans, who **still** put up with it, even if it was **so** boring. And don't say anything! I just **know** that it was. So, let's give this story the twist, finally, eh! 'Bout some **fucking** time, eh! Lol._

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Ten: Worlds Shattering_

The next morning, before the two suns of Vegeta-sei could even get the chance to rise, a lavender haired former Queen bolted up from a nightmare into a sitting position. She couldn't ease her labored breathing and the cold sweat droplets continued to cascade down her face. She gripped the sheets tighter to her chest and tried to calm herself before the tears began to escape her eyes traitorously. It was just a dream, she told herself, just a stupid dream!

But it seemed so real… She dreamt that Vegeta had died… Bulma had been looking at him, with her dull sunken blue eyes… She hated him, she told herself. Then why did the dream have such an impact on the Bulma in her dream? Why did it have such an impact on her awoken self? Why did she even care? She hated him! With all her heart!

Sobbing lightly, she cuddled near him and the wonderful consuming warmth that emitted from him. Oh how she had missed this position… She had always wanted to be here, with him, together… But not like this… All last night had been was lust… There were no pure intentions behind their bedding. There was nothing sincere, nothing pure, nothing innocent…

She shook her head in dejection. She'd never be pure or innocent ever again in her life. Her innocence had been taken, long time ago. She'd been forced to grow up at an early age… The action cost her dearly… She'd missed out on so much!… And now she'd never have the chance to see her planet ever again. She was stuck in a world she didn't even like, a world that would never like her because of her physical weakness and incapability of attaining strength even close to a Saiya-jin's.

With a small smile, she slowly slid her arms around Vegeta's waist and looked up to see whether she'd woken him. She almost felt her tension leave her body when she noticed how peaceful and relaxed he looked. His eye brows have eased, his face was not fixed into that infamous scowl of his. He looked quite… angelic in that moment.

The lavender haired young woman slapped herself mentally. Vegeta! Angelic? Did she hit her head or something? That devious creature would ruin Heaven and corrupt all of the angels, as he was now corrupting the Universe with his foul presence! He would have God's little realm in the sky collapse atop of the Earth if he was ever to enter Heaven. And if he did, it would most definitely be by force, she decided.

But if **he** was foul… Then what was she, for being there for him, for offering him the chance to ruin the Universe! She squeezed her eyes shut. It was not the quite correct time for such discussions. She wanted to sleep on it and forget all about it. She was, as stupid as it may have sounded in her own mind's ears, eager to see how Vegeta would react when he found her in his bed the next day… If he stayed as long to see her wake.

x.x.x.x.x.x

The next morning the onyx orbs slowly revealed to the world behind the tanned eye lids. The ruler of the Saiya-jin Empire, The Biggest and Strongest Empire that the Universe had ever seen for their leader was the most powerful being there could ever be, pushed himself up, only to meet the slight resistance of his body. He glanced down and saw the fragile female that lay atop him. His eye brows furrowed and narrowed at her. And that's when he remembered last night.

Did he have so little resistance? Did he have so little control? He shot a glare towards the nearest clock. So late already? He slept two additional hours than what he usually took! It was about time he got up. Strangely, he felt a sudden urge not to get up at all at the thought to waking her in her fragile sleep. He slapped himself mentally about even letting the thought entertain his mind. That was definitely not the way a being such as him should be thinking! He didn't care for anyone or anything! Everything and everyone he gave a damn about was only himself!

A knock on the door brought him back to reality as he seriously began to need a distraction for his thoughts were sincerely beginning to consume him and to make his grip on reality and the current situation lessen. He slid out of bed lightly, kicking himself in his mind as he acted so gently towards her, just as he had the night before and ventured over to the huge wooden door.

Bulma's eyes slowly fluttered open when she noticed instantly that the warmth has left the bed. She blinked sleep off her eyes as she looked carefully at Vegeta's actions. He snatched a sheet to cover himself as he opened the door.

"What?" He snapped angrily. The servant behind it did not even budge. It was obviously something very serious if they didn't get scared by their master's demeanour. And so it proved to be when Vegeta heard the news that was to be delivered by the very soldier.

"Sire, a space pod is entering the planet's atmosphere." The King blinked strangely down at the shorter man in subtle question.

"And that's why you came to wake me? It probably is one of those idiots, Toma, Bardock, or whatever." With a dismissive wave Vegeta was about to shrug the whole topic off when the guard stopped him with his following statement.

"It is an unidentified ship, your Majesty. It is not Saiya-jin." His eyes spoke of a scare bigger than the soldier had felt all his life, probably. The flame-haired regal looked strangely at him, wondering what he was trying to say. "We also received a message from the pod." He took out a piece of paper and that was the moment Vegeta noticed that the servant's hands were trembling. He scowled at his subject's weakness. That was one of the things he could tolerate less in the whole Universe. Weakness… He despised weakness… His past being the trigger to his intense feelings, probably. "We demand for the whole planet to surrender immediately and we might let you and your pathetic ruler live. If you refuse, we will be forced to purge the entire race." The young Saiya-jin read in a tone low enough for Bulma to be unable to hear.

Vegeta was silent. He knew very well who had the power to say such a thing. And the other thing he knew was that his destiny had been decided since the day those creatures first saw daylight. He was going to die… It didn't matter that he was a Super Saiya-jin. It didn't matter he had trained all of his life, he had lived to be the King of his race, but only had the chance to take over his kingdom for five years… A pathetic amount of time for a being that had the capacity to live such a long time.

Bulma was still in bed, clutching the other cover to her chest and playing with the argida he had given her. His eyes narrowed even more as he remembered how weak and fragile she had been as a child. How he always took care of her and saved her behind when she got in trouble. He had always been there for her, one way or another. He had always taken care of her, always managed to save her. She had dodged death once… She had given him the power to transform, as much as he hated admitting it through the years, even if it was only to himself. She was special to him… There was no mistake about that one. He couldn't surrender and let those bastards fuck with her.

His jaw line tightened and his head whipped back towards the guard.

"When are they going to land?" The Saiya-jin swallowed dryly. He didn't know how to form the words and let them leave his mouth, all of a sudden. "**When**?" Vegeta barked loudly, losing both his patience and his temper, making Bulma's direction go back to him once again. Before the poor weakling had the chance to answer, the whole Palace began shaking as something hit the planet. Hard. A growl escaped his throat.

"Right now, sire…"

"**And you came to tell me in the last moment? I should have your precious tail for that one!**" The King bellowed like a mad-man, making his subject's eyes widen. The coward began shaking his head furiously.

"No, sire! Please not the tail! Please, anything but that!"

"**SILENCE!**" He demanded before shoving the Saiya-jin out of the room and barking some orders towards his retreating form before he went to get dressed. Bulma was already in a sitting position, looking quizzically at him, demanding with her pleading cerulean eyes for explanation.

Vegeta let his eyes linger on her. At the sight of upcoming death, he suddenly began realizing a lot of things. She looked so broken, yet still she held hope close to her heart. It was obvious in her eyes. She cared so much for everything around her… She was so emotional, so… pure… And weak. He frowned at the last thought. He loathed her for her weakness. He loathed the fact he had to save her every time. He hated the fact of her weakness for he was always the one to come to her rescue when she couldn't take care of herself in a world where the fittest survived.

Why did he care about her? What did she so much mean to him? When did he get so devoted to her? But he knew the answers to all his rhetorical questions. And he knew that devotion was inevitable. Frieza knew that very well too… The dumb fuck even tried to burn another scar into Vegeta's already damaged psyche by raping the girl he cared for in front of the Saiya-jin Prince's very eyes. But he guessed wrong. He never knew the potential Vegeta had always possessed. All he needed was a trigger. And there it was, sitting in front of him, naked in her flawless exotic beauty, waiting for his answer to her subtle question.

He shook his head and continued to dress. He had a lot of things to do. The first one being evacuating his most needed personnel. Bulma stood up, naked as she was, and walked over next to him, turning him around to face her as he was putting his cape on.

"What was that? Tell me! **Now**! I have the **right** to know!" She snapped at him. He was not in the mood of resisting, but had no time for pointless chit-chat.

"Get dressed. Immediately! And don't question me! Do as I say!" She glared at him in a disbelieving manner. Was he pulling her leg? How did he **ever** expect her to do as **he**, of all people, ordered her? Was he mad or something? Did he have a fever?

"What? You can't just tell me what to do! I am—"

"I am **quite** aware who you are, woman. I have no time for explaining. Get dressed and pack your most needed stuff. Take a change of clothes, your things and everything that is you might need and meet me here in five minutes." He glanced out of the window and his eyes narrowed. "Maybe you better make them three."

"Are you kidding me?" She gawked at him. "I cannot **possibly** pack for three minutes and get dressed, Vegeta, you must be mad or something, but I refuse to—"

"The clock is ticking, woman!" He yelled at her as he dashed out of the room towards an unbeknownst to her destination. With a slight huff she threw on a flared skirt and a white shirt, took some of the dresses Vegeta's maids have ensured for her. As much as she didn't like those dresses, she still had no choice, did she? She frowned. She didn't even get the time needed to run some fingers in her hair! It was tied into a complete knot! Then she realized what she had just said in her mind and sighed in defeat. How stupid all of this really sounded.

When she found something to put her things into, she went out of the room, letting her eyes roam over the place, looking for Vegeta's frame. She noticed all the commotion around and she wondered what all of it was about. She did note the worried look written over Vegeta's face when he had the news delivered to him. She could only wonder what had happened.

"You're late. I told you three minutes, and you took ten!" He snapped at her from her side, startling her as he did come out of the shadows, or at least so it seemed to her.

"Excuse me? I'm not Saiya-jin, Vegeta, I can't pack so fast, thank you very much!" She snapped. The small animal by her leg barked, or at least it made a sound that much resembled a bark, at the Saiya-jin King. With a scornful look, Vegeta dismissed the creature, pulling Bulma by her arm into his chambers. He cringed when he heard the screams of pain resounding off the levels of the Palace as the enemy had penetrated the first floor. He went inside and took a deep breath when he locked the door. It wasn't going to help him at all, but the sigh was not one of relief. He had to think and fast.

"Care to share?" Bulma tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

"You don't need to know anything."

"I can't believe you!" She stomped her foot against the marble carpeted floor of Vegeta's chambers. "Even after last night you're going to act as if nothing ever happened! I **can't** believe you!" She yelled in frustration. The screams began to get closer and closer.

"Woman!" The Saiya-jin King interrupted her ranting. "We don't have time for this!"

"We **never** have time for **this**, Vegeta! But you always take your time to fuck with my mentality, don't you? Is it so much fun to confuse me and to break my heart every single time? What gives you so much pleasure into ruining my life further, Mr. Perfect! I had enough of your useless worthless words! You rarely speak and when you do, all I can hear is insults, non-caring behaviour and you won't ever even call me by my name!"

He didn't even listen to her. He picked her up by her knees and shoved the small trunk-like-thing in her hands as he made a small journey over to the balcony. Beneath were all of the scientists and all of Bulma's friends and crew. Kakarott was also there, looking up directly towards the scene at the balcony's top. Vegeta nodded curtly down at the smaller boy and he nodded back. He hated the boy's guts, but knowing that he possessed the power to take care of the woman's welfare… Well, he had no other option but to entrust the younger Saiya-jin with the task.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She screeched at him with all the power her lungs had. "What are you doing? Vegeta! Say something about all of this, damn you! Do something!" She hit her balled small fists against his chest. The Saiya-jin chuckled at her display of a nerve wreck and just bent his neck down to her and with a brief gentle kiss, he came closer to the rail.

"Good-bye, Bulma." He whispered in her ear, making her beautiful clear sapphire eyes widen in horror and recognition before his hold on her lessened completely, letting her to fall down towards the ground with an immense velocity.

Luckily for him, he managed to do it just in time before the door to his room got broken down. A petite blonde girl and a short black haired boy entered with their chins held up high. They gave the older male each a wicked grin, making a growl emit from his throat. The time had come… His jaw tightened and his fists balled at his sides. He had to defend his planet, his people… and his woman… The only creature whose life depended most on the outcome of this battle… He could only hope that he was going to make it out… alive.

x.x.x.x.x.x

Panic took control of Bulma's entire being when she felt herself falling. She had little time to release a scream when the firm hold on her body fastened again. She looked at her side, ready to bash Vegeta for the stunt he had tried to pull on her when she noticed that the person that was currently holding her wasn't the same that let her fall. Goku's genuine warm smile beamed at her.

"Hey, Bulma!" He greeted her. "How was the flight?"

"Don't push me, Goku!" She warned him with an un-lady-like growl. Vegeta was definitely influencing her. She got back to her own two feet and let her trunk fall against the ground. She just noticed that the argida that she still had no name for had caught onto her leg when she began falling and was currently dusting itself off. Her eye brow quirked at the creature. It was so fast in its actions it was actually fascinating!

"Where are you going?" ChiChi questioned her, catching onto her wrist in a sad attempt to stop her Queen who was headed right back towards the Palace's entrance.

"Duh! Where could I be **possibly** going? Back to snap at the asshole for pulling his little stunt on me, of course! What else could I be doing?"

"You don't understand, Miss Bulma." Her boss of the scientists butted into the conversation with a serious look plastered on his face. "We must leave immediately. We must not let ourselves get caught."

"Caught? And just by **whom**? The boogeyman from our dreams? Come on, you know that there is no threat for us here! After all, Vegeta's there, isn't he? And I intend on going back up there and knocking some sense into that thick skull of his, and—Hey! Just what are you doing? Let go of me!" The girl screamed with all her might and pounded her fists against her long time friend's back as he had grabbed her and thrown her over his shoulder like a bag full of potatoes.

"I can't let you do that, Bulma. You heard the man. We have to leave, and fast!"

"Has the whole Saiya-jin race **really** united against me today?" She growled out dramatically. They were truly advancing away from the Palace at an immense speed. What was going on there? She had never been allowed to do so much as leave the Palace and now she was taken away from it? What was going on today with everyone! And with her too! She let herself sleep with Vegeta, **again**, for Heaven's sake! What was she, stupid or something? The nerve of that guy, to kiss her like that and then just to drop her off his balcony!

"Bulma, please!" ChiChi begged desperately. "You don't understand!"

"Not you too, ChiChi!" Bulma slapped her hand against her forehead. Definitely not her day, she decided then.

Before anyone else could say something, the ground shook. Bulma's head shot up and she looked at the Palace that was right in front of her eyes. The base of the building was trembling slightly. Then a blinding light shone, forcing Bulma to close her eyes before she got blinded for life. After a few moments, her eye lids fluttered back open only to have a terrifying sight reveal before her.

The light was probably a transformation of some sort… or an explosion without a sound. The Palace's walls were collapsing, the entire building was dissipating into ashes of what would only remind one of the structure that it had previously been. The majestic edifice was now nothing more than ruins, stones and dust… Nothing of its previous divine glow left to remind one of it.

Bulma stopped resisting. Her eyes clouded and dulled. She stared emptily at the sight before her. She shook Goku off rather easily and looked at the scenery of utter destruction with utter disbelief in her eyes. She was in denial. She couldn't believe this was happening. Her family and world had been bad enough to shatter before her. She felt pain that could never compare to anything. But now… It she felt a different ache…

Now her heart clenched into a tight knot, letting every single drop of blood in her veins and arteries freeze in horror. It was impossible… How could it be?... Vegeta… No!... Vegeta!... He was there, inside! Just a moment ago, she had seen him, she had kissed him, and she could touch him! Her eyes searched the sky desperately for any signs of his survival of the whole situation. But she found nothing but dark clouds that threatened to pour their content over this world… Clouds that reminded Bulma of her current feelings… Betrayal, hurt… But the most dominating of all emotions was fear.

Vegeta had always been her support and she knew it. She could always rely on him. No matter how hard they fought, no matter how badly he hurt her, she always somehow managed to pull through and still come back to his secure warm embrace, feeling alive again, knowing that he would always look after her, no matter what.

And now… The idea that she would never see him again stung hard and strong. She couldn't imagine her life without him making his sarcastic comments on everything she did. She couldn't live this way… Without knowing he was still there, somewhere, living the life she made available for him to take. No… No… Vegeta!

A heart-clenching sorrowful scream echoed throughout the entire area, making grief run through all of the creatures that heard it. A shriek filled with so much emotion…

"**VEGETA!**"

x.x.x.x.x.x

The evil duo looked at the consequences of their little assault. They had long ago killed the old man that was really starting to get on their nerves. They could imagine how he was going to react in this situation. He'd bitch at them for being so stupid and 'incompetent' because they let the 'prey' slip. But it didn't really matter as the whole planet was going to be destroyed.

The boy looked at a strange book that lay untouched by the destruction that had erupted throughout the whole building and shattered it into tiny dust. He knelt over and picked it up, flicking through the pages. A smirk crossed his handsome wicked young face as his partner in crime huffed, throwing her blond hair behind her shoulder.

"I can't believe you! I was so going to kill him in a flick of my wrist when you stopped me! It could've been so easy when you insisted we toy with him! How fun was that? Now what do we do, smart ass?" The female demanded, her azure glare stinging hard at her acquaintance's features. The boy stood back up on his two feet and looked at her with an amused expression.

"Why, my dear sister! Don't get so worked up over something so trivial. We **will** finish everything in time, do not worry your little head with such topics. But now, I think you'll get interested in the connection he seems to have with this,… woman." He threw the small book for his twin to catch. She glared at it and she looked at the first page.

Her eye brow quirked. Wasn't that the name of Earth's former Queen? She read the title. "Bulma Briefs' diary."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_A/N: Dun, dun, dun, dun! They have Bulma's diary! What did she write in it that they can actually use! And Vegeta's dead! What will Bulma do? Survival of the fittest, but she is in by no meaning fit! What will they do? Where will they go? Review to find out!_

_Due to a recent rule in ffnet policy, I have removed the nicknames of those of you who have reviewed the story at this point. It was a very abstract thing to do to begin with and removing those names from the chapter's content doesn't mean that I remove their meaning from my head as well, quite the contrary! Every single review you've submitted means a lot to me. This is a story I hold dear to my heart, that I started writing with much of a passion. Your attention, your reviews and the time you took for this story makes me want to hug every one of you. Thank you for reviewing and thanks for being part of '**Damaged**' so far! Please don't leave me! I know I made some mistakes, but I'm only human! Don't leave now! It's now that things finally get hot! ;)_


	11. Ch11: Move On?

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Eleven: Move On?_

Bulma stood still for what seemed like an eternity. A feeling of déjà vu tried to creep unto her senses, but she felt so numb not a thought managed to intrude her head for minutes long. She just stared, open-mouthed, wide-eyed at the direction of the castle, or at least its former place. She was holding her breath for the longest of times as any process in her body had completely ceased. She was unable to tear her eyes away from the scenery. She couldn't force herself to think straight as that would mean she'd have to start thinking about everything again, she'd have to react again and that... That was definitely something she wasn't ready for. Not yet, not ever.

She wasn't really ready to lose Vegeta from her life either, but fate was quite a twisted inconsiderate bitch and over all did not care about the mistress' feelings about the whole situation.

Staring into nothing in particular, the woman, who had by the time been successful in supporting her body weight still in an upwards position even though her knees were buckling beneath her, finally gave the effort up and collapsed again the ground, staring blankly forwards. Her bottom lip was trembling and her throat felt sore from the war cry she had let escape her mouth earlier. Her breathing was slowly becoming labored as her eyes were slowly filling with salty liquid.

His Palace… Gone… His form… Nowhere to be seen… His soul… It had fled her grasp… His body… Crushed underneath the heavy material of his solitude… A numbing feeling was creeping unto her senses – he was gone… Forever… She wasn't going to see him again, never hear his deep masculine voice again, and never take in the grace of his majestic features, never again able to let her frisky cerulean eyes roam over his built form… Never again she was to feel the warmth of another as she refused to have any other man touch her heart again as the arrogant Saiya-jin had managed to.

Never before had she felt so naked to the world… Yes, she lost her home, her people… But it was something that happened to Vegeta before, so when she made her way to make him regret the day he set his people at hers she'd know her words would make him feel bitter regret. You couldn't possibly imagine how much it stung her when he had informed her it wasn't his fault… The look in his eyes made her feel as if she had committed the biggest sin known to man and Saiya-jin both as she had come on his planet to demand explanation. She saw the hurt in his eyes, so deep…

His beautiful onyx orbs that she could stare at for hours on end and never grow tired of it for a millisecond… How was she going to live without them taking in her features every once in a while the day? How was she to live without the protection Vegeta provided by simply existing? When was it that she had become so dependant on the handsome King? Why did he mean so much to her? What was it that he had done in her behalf to ever make her feel such… gratitude in her subconsciousness? She had tried to convince herself that he had been nothing but pain to her, nothing but grief was what he had wreaked upon her fragile life from its very beginning.

But as hard as she tried, the harder it was for her mind to accept her words of common fallacy as she had to admit all the things he had done for her. When she had been little and forced to live on Frieza's ship, who had protected her all day long? Who had been her first friend ever? Who insured her safe returning home? Who had been there for her whenever she needed a strong hand and a powerful embrace to soothe her grief? Who was the one who showed her how wonderfully love felt like? Who was the one she had been willing to give her life for? Who had been the one that had given her a roof to sleep under after the destruction of her planet? She lived by chance, but it was anything but chance that Vegeta let her reside his lands, not to mention his personal quarters. Even after five years in which she could swear he had grown more brutal, monstrous and quite a grotesque figure in the eyes of every living being in the Galaxy, had he ever been harsher to her physically in her stay on Vegeta-sei?

All these thoughts littered her mind mercilessly, making her hands tremble as they were now supporting her form against the ground. How was it possible for him to die? Were his rants of being the strongest being, which resided this Universe, empty monologues? Could it be that he was no longer as strong as he had been once? No, that was not possible. Once breaking a level, a Saiya-jin was to further improve his strength, velocity and power, not weakening. Then it was true – there was now someone stronger than him… Someone that had taken his dear life… And permanently shattered the remains of her soul to tiny pieces which were blown away from the strong wind of this planet into oblivion.

What was she going to now? All alone in this Universe? If they have managed to eliminate Vegeta, she was sure her fragile life was going to be taken soon as well. Among as the whole planet's destruction to follow closely. How was she going to survive in those last few days she had left without the one she loved most?

How could she even deny it anymore to herself? God, she loved him… More than life… More than death… How she wished she could've told him that before he let her go instead of shrieking and demanding… No… It was too cruel… He couldn't be dead, could he? His pride couldn't be more important that his fucking life!

Letting a sob escape her lips, Bulma let her head fall down against her collarbone, facing the soil beneath her shaky arms. Now what? Without a direction to go in life, how was she to pull through and find some sanity in that head of hers? He had been so dominant and manipulative of her that she felt utterly lost and broken when he was gone. No… That wasn't right… He had been gone for quite some time now… But she had never before felt this hollow inside. No… It was not Vegeta's manipulative nature that caused her current breakdown. It was a power bigger than him, bigger than her, bigger than anyone… She still loved the oaf… And what for? Only to be hurt again, by his harsh words, by his savage treatment and by his sudden death…

As the tears cascaded freely down her cheeks, Bulma finally felt the cold rain drops crash against her skull and soak her clothes and hair. But she didn't even pay attention to that. She was searching… She was searching inside her chest, her whole body, for a place there had been left just a trace from any form of happiness. She found none. Even her beautiful memories, ones she had before treasured dearly, all of them consisted with Vegeta… All of them possessed remembrance of his features… And the thought of him only twisted the knife that had been stabbed into her heart further.

"Bulma…" ChiChi's soft whisper did not even reach her deaf ears. The raven haired girl extended her arm as to go to her Queen, but Goku beat her to it as he threw his girlfriend a worried look when he stepped closer to the elder woman.

"My lady…" He kneeled beside her, looking at the side of her face slightly concealed behind her lavender tresses. She didn't react to him either. She was too engulfed in her own little Hell to register anything around her…

_Death…_ No, impossible… He had to live; he had to be there… _Alone…_ No, she couldn't be! She'd been alone for the longest of time; he couldn't just leave her now again! _Abandoned… _No, couldn't be! He couldn't be so cruel to her! He had to be there, the selfish bastard! _He cared for you till his last breath…_ If he cared, why was he dead now?

_He cared for you since the day you met…_ No, that's a lie! He never cared for her! That was so false! _He had never known the warmth of another, never knew emotion or love as he grew without parents in an environment so cruel and merciless any show of affection would be death of his young corpse… _The fact he grew by himself did not make him not guilty for his harshness and… _He had protected you, shown you the deepest and most fragile part of himself for you to freely see and touch…_ Then why did he pull so fast away from her? She didn't understand! _He was afraid of you, afraid of your power over him, afraid of the impact you had on his bottled up emotions, afraid of the chaos you stirred in his heart with your nature…_ Vegeta, afraid? Please! Spare your words! _He had stretched his hand of protection over you and your allies even after he departed for his new home… He had never forgotten you as he welcomed you in his own chambers out of possessiveness for your welfare… Not for a second had the thought of you left his raging mind…_ You're lying, she screamed mentally.

_He cared until his last exhale… He adored you deeply, as his post priced possession… He treated you as if you were something that always needed him, as if his presence and protection were things that couldn't be questioned… He always did as if he had vowed to preserve your life… _But he still never loved her really… He had never shown love and devotion to her, even if there had been lust between them, even if he did grow to tolerate her presence in his life at a point and began caring as well.

_Saiya-jins are creatures with complicated nature… They have possession of a greater power, their anger. Breaking the level of Super Saiya-jin had been said in their legends to be equivalent of a divine power, one that can be reached only by the greatest of men among them to ever live… He had become a deity for his people, the people that would've rejected his ways if he went home with an earthling woman in hand. A nation that now feared, adored and respected him for his power as they would've despised him for the reason he managed to finally achieve his goal only had they known. _He achieved his goal because he had been stubborn enough, she lied to herself in hope it would slip.

_He hated Frieza for everything he had done to his people, to his life, to his psyche. But it had not been his selfish reasoning that had triggered him to transform._ No, that's not— _He cracked when he was about to see **you** getting hurt, in front of his very eyes no less… And he knew at that time he was powerless to stop the tyrant from doing as he wished, as Vegeta was weaker… And his anger, his bitterness triggered him into transforming. His mind screamed "protect" louder than ever before, louder than any other thing that could've crossed his mind at the moment. He wanted to stop his bastardly master from hurting you more than anything else he ever wanted before. More than he ever wanted to change, to be more powerful, he wished to be able to do something that moment. Not because of his people, not because of his father, not because of his father, not because of himself… But for you. For you and you only. How else would you explain, being the emotion-wise Earth Queen that you were, this sudden selfless behaviour of his if not driven forward because of feelings like devotion and love?_

How could anyone even _think_ Vegeta had ever loved her? No, that was impossible! _You're in denial… You **know** he loved you… Only he didn't know that… Not before you bedded together. Realization pained him, and scared him awfully. He had grown weak in his own eyes. But he couldn't just leave you and couldn't take you with him as strongly as he hard wished he could. He sent you to safety before anything else… _

Her form was now trembling terribly as the sobs wreaked her body without remorse. She had wondered about it in the past, but couldn't let the reverie last for too long as the option only pained her further… That he had given up on both their feelings out of belief that they couldn't last together in this, or any other, world… That one day he might not be able to protect her if she was by him, as he would surely feel bound to preserve her if she was to become his mate. If anything, she believed Vegeta was a man of his word and a man of honour. Protecting someone that depended on him was one of the things his codes of honour would surely demand.

Secretly, she had always known he thought of himself foul and evil, as if he wasn't the proper companion for a creature as innocent as her… No, she was a far cry from innocence… But also not as …cruel and cold-hearted as he had been. By no means did that fact mean to her that he was unworthy of being with her, that he wouldn't be able to do things right… Yes, they often fought; yes, they constantly insulted each other; yes, they did hurt each other frequently… But it was the deeper feelings that mattered to her! How couldn't he understand that? How couldn't he understand that it had been him that she wanted all this time? Not the Saiya-jin Prince, not the Saiya-jin King… Just the Vegeta she knew…and had grown to love…

Her crystalline tears collided with the soil instantly getting soaked into it had already grown drenched from the falling rain. How could she have been so blind? How could she have been so stupid? How could she have been so selfish? How could she not have noticed the littlest things about him that gave out most of his actions, most of his thoughts,… most of the complicated nature that she always claimed she would never understand… Why did he have to die in order of her to finally understand?

The thought was the last straw for her. Exhausted mentally from her battle with herself, the woman fell into a state of shock as her body began convulsing with the pained choked sobs that left her throat in a husky way, hurting her vocal cords as they did so. The neurotic earthling did not even notice as she was pulled into the gentle embrace of her life-long friend, Goku.

The boy looked sympathetically down at her in his arms. He could bring himself to understand what she was going through… Vegeta had really been a figure in her life that she had treasured dearly for many reasons, a very important figure to her. He didn't know who had done – he turned his head to face the ruins of the Palace – _this_, but he vowed, for the sake of his broken Queen, who had her shoulders bounce up and down uncontrollably as her sobs made her whole body tremble with grief, that he would avenge his King.

The people who were around had centered their attention at the crying creature in Kakarott's arms. All of them have known the Earth Queen as a temperamental woman that never let herself fall on her back, never let anyone speak back to her, no matter the rank or power; they knew her as a strong woman, unshakable by any means. And there she was, crying inconsolably for a man she had made everyone believe she hated to her core. A pitiful display, truly, how such a temperamental woman would turn into a weeping fragile little child…

As the thunders snaked in the sky like serpents, the group of both Saiya-jins and Earthlings made their way inside the huge forest that would be their solace for the night. Hopefully, the next day was going to be better than the previous…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The obsidian haired teenage looking boy threw the book from his grasp with an aggravated growl. He had been reading for the last half an hour or so through the annoying object, but all he could find was useless worthless senseless mushy _bullshit_ of this woman!

"Stupid earthlings and their pathetic petty emotions!" He screamed as he created an energy ball in his hand, destroying a nearby column that still stood after the collapsing of the Saiya-jin Palace. His twin sister frowned at his outburst and went to pick the book up from the dirt. She dusted it off and opened it. The cerulean eyes of her brother glared at her reading form. "You're wasting you time!" He informed her exasperated. "There is _nothing_ to help us in that pile of pointless crap!"

His – kind of – well-meant words were, however, ignored by the woman, who did not turn her attention away from the book in her hands. After a few minutes of utter silence, the boy couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to kill, destroy and purge! And he would start from the weakling human woman that had poisoned his mind with her no-good scribbles! He voiced his thoughts to his sibling and was about to storm off, looking for his prey when her hand shot up towards him, motioning for him to stop.

"I don't have an idea how you have read, but I don't think you really understood anything, dear brother of mine." The way she addressed him dripped with open sarcasm that only further angered the young man. "We know that she had a deeper connection with mister goldilocks. Also, she is very naïve and trusts strangers even at times like these, when enemies hide in every dark corner of your very own room. Not to forget that she has brains that could be really useful to us when we rule the Universe after you have destroyed the old man."

He snorted.

"So what do you suggest, almighty and smart one?" He scolded. A smug expression covered the blonde's face and stretched the corners of her mouth into a malicious smile.

"We can use this woman quite well in more than one way, _if_ you know what I mean…" She gave him a wicked smile that he soon returned.

"I like the plan. So what do we do now, huh?"

"You go and seek, I'm going to find her and the rest of the curs that managed to escape this place and get her to trust me. We'll see how things develop and then we'll see how we'll carry on further with the plan."

"Fine." They went off in different directions. Before the girl had the chance to go too far, her relative called out.

"Juuhachigou!" She whipped her head as she heard her name being yelled. The glare her brother sent her made her azure emotionless eyes roll. Gosh, he could be such a kid sometimes!

"Don't fucking worry, I _won't!_"

Pleased with the answer he got, the boy flew off in an unknown direction, leaving his sister all to her thoughts and the evil schemes that were incredibly fast forming in her mind.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

It seemed like an eternity has passed since they last could see the ruins of the collapsed Saiya-jin castle. No one had spoken a word if you didn't count Bulma's moaning of her lost one's name over and over again like a mantra the past few minutes. She had calmed down, or at least her cries and sobs had ceased. Goku refused to let her go on her own and so she was still seated in his gentle warm embrace.

Even if she had calmed outwardly, her eyes spoke clearly that she still hurt as hell inside. There was no, absolutely no trace of life in them. No passion to keep on living, no will to survive. She simply did not care anymore. She didn't care if she lived, she didn't care what became of her. She lost her people, she lost her family, she lost most of her friends,… and now she lost her Vegeta and her heart went with him, dragging her soul into the vast abyss as well. If before she thought she had been an empty shell, her previous condition was a very far cry from what she was now. She wouldn't answer if asked, she wouldn't look at anyone, and she wouldn't concentrate on anything. She was just staring off space, looking in nothing in particular in the far distance.

Her companions were really worried about her mental condition. They were even considering the possibility, not verbally of course, that she could've gone completely insane with her nervous breakdown earlier. Yet they didn't dare speak of the touchy subject, scared that they might cause another breakdown.

Maybe time really healed wounds… Maybe time would heal Bulma's scars too… ChiChi could only hope so, for the Earth Queen had been a very energetic and wonderful, cheerful, person once… But the girl knew that when she dreamt of her Queen being the same she had been when she resided her home Palace on Earth with the Saiya-jin Prince was a reverie too brave and unreal to be true… Those days were over a long time ago and would never come back…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

As everyone in the little group was becoming quite tired of walking ever deeper into the woods, a rather huge house caught their attention. Their heads shot up in its direction and they shared a meek glance before they all ran towards the direction of their salvation… or what they thought would be their salvation. Not for a second did they consider that not all Saiya-jins were as friendly and welcoming as their King had been… Though Vegeta was not really that much of a host to all of them…

As they stood in front of the remarkable doors of the Manor, Bulma's soft-spoken voice reached her carrier's ears faintly.

"Let me go."

"But, Bulma—" He tried to object, but it was pointless.

"I can stand myself." She insisted, not once letting her eyes grace his in a gaze lock. He sighed deeply but still complied with her wish, letting her feet support her weight against the grass. She stood there like a doll, with no sign of life in her eyes whatsoever…

As she made no move to knock on the door, ChiChi decided to be the one to break the ice and brought her balled fist to the huge wooden door, knocking loudly upon it. As nothing happened or could be heard for several seconds, she made a move to knock again, but her wrist stopped mid-air as the door flew open and there stood a tall Saiya-jin with rather rough features. He sized the girl up and down and noticed the tall strange-haired Saiya-jin behind her as well. His suspicious expression did not falter for once as he inquired,

"Who are you and what do you want?" His voice was as rough and rotten as his character, ChiChi mused. Her eye brows knitted and she was about to show that guy how to speak to her and her friends again when Goku interjected before it was too late.

"We are just poor travelers in despair, kind sir. We need some refuge for the night. We are willing to pay as much as you want, money is no obstacle."

The polite court words of the young warrior did nothing to make the other guy want to hear a word more. He despised the idea of some filthy strangers coming in his house and using his things even though he had enough rooms to place a whole army inside. But still… He didn't need money; money wasn't a problem for him either. He had plenty of it and did not like the idea of putting up with some strangers for God knows how long just because of getting wealthier. He was about to shove them away and get back to his previous activities when something caught his eye.

Something? No, more like some_one_.

A malicious grin covered his sly features. Maybe he could reconsider…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Somewhere, sometime, in the middle of nothing, a small river flowed with a water stream bigger than before because of the torrential rain. The liquid hit mercilessly against its channel, digging the watersides deeper.

The ground was already soaked with the water pouring from the sky, but the flood rain still wouldn't cease. The plants' leaves were already heavy with the droplets that fell, the branches and trunks of the trees were soaked to the core.

Somewhere, sometime, in the middle of nothing, in this rainy scenery, a small man breathed with difficulty, his wounds deep and still having blood ooze out of them. He chuckled. The pain… A feeling he recognized all too well… A feeling that made him believe he was very much alive, even if he had doubted it at first.

And he promised himself that he'd surely make those bastards regret the day they left him living.

The man was getting too caught up in diabolical thoughts when his muscles clenched tightly in a painful convulse, reminding him of his current condition and utter impossibility of fulfilling his vows. He _would_ make them regret the day they were created, but first he needed to tend his wounds…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Bulma was staring blankly into nothingness. She seemed completely oblivious to the hungry stare of the bulky warrior that would soon turn to be their host.

However, ChiChi, Goku and Ariane were not as ignorant of the look he was giving the young woman. ChiChi stood in front of him, blocking his sight of her, wearing a deep scowl plastered on her face.

This woman had been like nothing he had ever laid eyes upon, he mused subtly. She was exotic in her colouring as much as she was exotic in her behaviour too, he guessed. Her lavender tresses and cerulean eyes made a mix with her porcelain skin that resembled the radiance of an angel… Her innocence was something that caught his eye too. Such a fragile and breakable creature in a world so cold and motionless as Vegeta-sei… His observant roaming eyes missed the grief written clearly across her features.

Snapping out of his trance as soon as the little wench blocked his view, the guy looked straight and made Goku's eye brows narrow.

"Your money isn't something I want." He informed them.

"Is that your final?" The Saiya-jin scientists wondered why the boy was so hasty to give hope up.

"But maybe there is another way for you to pay for your stay in my mansion…" The gruff voice trailed off.

"I'm afraid that will not—"

But Bulma beat him to it; her following words making everyone present reconsider the thought of her insanity.

"What do you want of me?"

The grin spread across the gross imbecile's face like slime over glass. That was all he had been waiting for…

"The nights can seem endless without a woman to warm the covers under which I sleep." Without speaking frankly, his hint was obvious enough for one to understand the meaning of his words. ChiChi opened her mouth to object, but she had no time to as her Queen continued on.

"And if I 'warm up your covers' you aren't going to say a thing to my people about anything they do in your house?"

"As long as they don't break or steal anything, I won't."

"How am I to trust your word?"

"Do you have a choice?" His voice was as sly as his expression was, making the women (all but Bulma; she simply seemed like she didn't care with her stoic expression on her features) feel engrossed with this man completely.

It didn't take her long before her answer finally left her words, making the pig's grin widen ever more.

"Very well then. You shall do with me whatever you want, as long as you don't lay a finger on my people." Her retort made everyone's heads whipped in her direction. Some were looking with fear her way, knowing that she had finally cracked completely; others had bafflement read easily in their eyes. None had expected her words and her friends were anything but happy about her statement. How could she just give herself like this, even for them? Her display of leadership that was planted into her by default as a born ruler was not quite correct in this particular moment and, by the way she seemed as observant as ever yet very much more detached to reality, they knew very well she realized it too. And still she did not back down for a second!

"Take me to my room, please… I have had a very …rough day."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_A/N: So, how was that for a chapter? Now you didn't really think I'd leave Vegeta die so easily, now did you? What B/V story will this be (B) without V! Lol. Anyway… Thanks to every one of you who reviewed the previous chapter! A big 'thank you' to all of you who have been with me up till now and don't turn back now! It all starts to get exciting now!_

_So, Vegeta's alive and is going to wreak chaos and seek vengeance as soon as he heals…if he doesn't bleed to death, that is, haha! How will life in the mansion turn to be? Will that slimy Saiya-jin keep his promise and treat all of out people well? What will he demand of Bulma? Will Bulma and Vegeta meet again, or will Vegeta's short temper and little patience drive him into death before he can meet with his woman? Stay tuned to find out! And review so the next chapter comes out sooner!_

_Yours sincerely, Dark Hope Assassin_


	12. Ch12: Relief

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Twelve: Relief_

Bulma's group of trusty scientists entered the huge mansion that could probably rival with a whole wing of the Saiya-jin Palace.

…The _former_ Saiya-jin Palace.

A pair of ghostly sapphire eyes scanned the surfaces around their possessor as the body they belonged to passed by the dark figurines, porcelain sets of dishes, cups and glasses; various grotesque pictures of supposedly previous masters of the home hanging on the unlit walls where just faint light from candles dappled. Huge fireplaces in most of the rooms the doors to which were opened wide agape, massive candle-holders which looked at least a few centuries old, dusty rugs and dirty shelves, yet comfy beds with satin sheets fit for royalty in every single room in the whole mansion.

The Queen herself, yet, seemed unfazed by the dark glory of the place. She had already succumbed to thought and her exhaustion did little to have her guard up. She knew what would come, she needn't be told. She knew her fate but didn't care. What was there left to care about other than fulfilling her duty as an Earth Queen and watch over her peoples' welfare? She had no other option, nothing better to do. What harm could it possibly bring to play low-rang whore when all was lost and that was the only thing that could save them?

She could faintly register her newfound master giving directions to the others and she felt ChiChi's worried stare bore into her back, but paid no heed to the younger girl. Both of them had plenty on their plates. She couldn't help but wonder where all of the servants of his were. What was the time here anyway? How long have they traveled? A

No matter how much it was, though, it seemed like an eternity to her… A very painful eternity. What she longed for was to lay her throbbing head down and have a peaceful dreamless sleep, to find a refuge from all raging thoughts that scorched her mind. She could take no more for one single day.

Bulma felt herself being led down the hall to a rather more spacious room where she could see huge drapes what were currently pulled together, a walk-in wardrobe, a King-sized bed that could probably house ten people if needed be, a comfortable-looking desk with a few books piled atop; in the corner of the room there was a second chair for special cases and a nightstand by the right side of the bed. Bulma looked around once again. The whole placed reeked with a masculine intrusive scent – a strange mix of sweat and body odour floated stilly in the air of the room. It was quite obvious nobody was allowed entrance in this room other than its occupant. She could've felt honoured… if she didn't know the reasons she was allowed.

The burly Saiya-jin moved to her front, but she did not look up at him. She appeared as if she saw right through him. He chuckled at her for no fathomable reason. His hand reached under her chin and pushed it up so her cyan orbs met his obsidian ones. For a strange moment, she stood perfectly still, just looking up at him; and then her eyes welled up. He stroked her chin tenderly, or at least what he could call tender, before he spoke to her,

"I have told that maid of yours that seems to despise me so to go and fetch you a hot tub. You're all dirty…" He nearly purred as he caressed her sides with his massive hands. She didn't move a muscle but her tears still remained stubbornly on the brink of her eyes. "You'll take a bath and then you shall rest for the night. Tomorrow is when we shall begin the process of our mating." He chuckled again as if he hadn't heard a more amusing thing his whole life. "You're a very quiet one. Hopefully you aren't mute?" She refused to open her mouth. He sneered and pushed away from her. "Very well then. Go and get yourself washed, woman. You reek."

Without a word, the young woman obediently left to go and get herself a much needed bath, ignoring all the comments of her, seemingly, husband-to-be.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Dragging her feet slowly against the marble tiled floor ignoring completely the numbness that crept up the length of her limbs because the warmth she was losing by the contact with her body, Bulma took off the comfortable dress and let it slide of the floor with a lifelessness that very much resembled her own. ChiChi still watched her worried, hoping it was just a temporary phase her childhood friend was going through. But it proved to come out quite wrong now…

The woman slid into the hot water with a light exhale. She rested her back against the edge of the large tub that managed to hold her form and even left her quite some room to move. She closed the cream-coloured lids of her eyes and let herself be drifted away into a warmer world, where things weren't the way they were in reality… A happier world, where she could exist without worrying for the upcoming future that threatened a knock on her door… But good things don't last as is well known and when you are not alone in a bathroom, a relaxing meditation is the last thing you can get.

"My lady? Are you alright?" ChiChi inquired slowly and quietly, as if talking any louder or harsher would bring Bulma into another fit. Her former Queen took a fleeting glance her way before her eyes slid closed once again, begging the gods for some peace. "Bulma… Stop pitying yourself this instant, young lady! Your mother and father taught you better than collapsing on your knees because of _one man_! Not to mention such a bastard as this barbaric world's King!"

Her words hung breathlessly in the air, stock-still and unanswered as the Queen took no heed in her advice. She decided to continue prodding on. The least she could get was an angry tirade. And, being so long in the queen's company, the girl was quite used to those.

"Bulma, you always told me how much of a bastard he is, how inconsiderate he is and that you hated him from the pit of your stomach and would hate him forever. Where did that Bulma go? What did you do to my Queen? Give her back! I want her back!" ChiChi finally shrieked, hoping against hope that her new master wouldn't be as watchful as he looked and wouldn't care what two females were doing in a bathroom together, fighting nonetheless. She was relieved when no one came to disturb them. Yet found her blood boiling even more when Bulma did nothing to acknowledge her existence.

After a long stretched moment of silence, a powerless voice fit for a mirage, not a woman of flesh and blood, retorted to her.

"Is that really what I said?" Her rhetorical question bounced off the walls of the tiled bathroom walls with difficulty. "Even so… Hating him for eternity suggested the period until the end of my life, not his…" She cleared. "Where did Bulma go? I have no idea… I can't help you… but I want her back too…"

The next instant she was grabbed by the bare shoulders with ChiChi staring enraged at her, the sharp nails of her finely filed hands digging into the pale skinny flesh of the regal unwittingly. She tried to shake her, probably hoping that would get her brain back to its rightful place but the same cold stare continued to dig into her eyes, piercing her very soul with its… soullessness and despair… Her once lively friend was now reduced to a walking rag doll. She had no willpower left in her body; she had no desire to live any longer. Letting go of her ChiChi glared at the other direction. For a few long minutes neither took any action. They just stood still in each other's presence, as if any move could shatter the current truce they were in.

"Aren't you going to wash yourself? Is that not why you are here?" ChiChi spat spitefully. Bulma did not even flinch at the tone of her voice. Even so she reached out and collected a sponge and started cleansing her skin.

When Bulma had that Saiya-jin, whose name she couldn't quite catch, he had taken an action that awfully resembled a manner Vegeta had used so occasionally during her stay in his room recently. She couldn't handle the reminder. She had felt her eyes instantly well up with unshed tears that she couldn't stop this day. She felt herself more broken than she had ever been before… She wanted to go home, to hug her mother and father, to be able to rest down on the bed she had been sleeping on for the past years of her life; she wanted to run around the castle like when she had first known how to walk, carelessly, without a worry in the world. She wanted to see the birds singing, she wanted to hear her mother's scolding, she wanted to hear her father's droning, she wanted to see Yamcha's scarred face, she wanted to pat Scratch, her father's trusty cat that, strangely, ever left its place on his shoulder.

Most of all she wanted to live back on Earth and rule it with her King… Ever since she had come to this atrocious planet, she had hoped, somehow that there could be a way her home could be brought back and that she would be able to make Vegeta come with her back to Earth… But she knew that would never happen it was impossible for so many reasons.

For one the plan had a very fatal fault – there were no Dragon Balls to wish Earth back with. There was no Namek to fetch Dragon Balls from. There was nothing! Just void space… Stardust that had once been a bluish and green planet was now scattered all over the Universe, reduced to what it had been at first… Even being the genius she was she couldn't think of any other way to recreate Earth again other than the Dragon Balls… But that plan was now useless, as we already said. And then, even if she did manage to reverse the events somehow, Vegeta would never comply to coming back to her home planet with her. All she wanted was to be with him, this entire time… But she had been too prideful. She had come to him; he had to come to her now. Under that excuse she had stubbornly refused to search for him in any way. If he wanted them to be separated, so be it. If he wanted them to be together, she'd welcome him with open arms.

Being as thick-headedly stubborn as she was, Bulma realized that the Saiya-jin was a very stubborn person himself, not to mention prideful. It would be a huge blow to his image if he came begging for her to come back to him, a 'lowly weak earthling woman', as he would've probably said himself.

But as the time passed, as much as Bulma wished herself to hate him, from the pit of her stomach, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't hate him… What she hated most about him was the fact he had such power over her that she couldn't even hate him for everything he had done to her… But it was all because he had not only brought her pain… He had shown her too what it is to care for another, as at a certain point of their unique relationship they had grown to mutually care for one another. He had also given her knowledge of an intimate caress… Back then, he had been so careful with her, so considerate, yet not oddly quite speechless. The only moments he would actually _speak_, she smiled faintly as she remembered other sounds that escaped his mouth that night, were the ones when he would make sure she was alright with the events taking place and such.

How was it possible that he was so caring and considerate in one moment and completely cold and distant in the next? Did he even know what he felt himself? Did he have a clue what he was doing to her with his ignorance and his little game with her feelings? Unlike him, she had feelings to be hurt!

She slapped herself mentally. How could she think that? She was desecrating the Saiya-jin King's memory. She would never again do that. But she couldn't help herself! It was all she ever saw of him – coldness, heartlessness, ruthlessness, cold-blooded murderer. She couldn't help thinking he had no feelings to be hurt, yet a different part of her, a smaller part called heart, had always known he was just hiding it all away from the world. Even in the best of moments, he would let her catch a mere glimpse at the inside of his rock hard shell that he had closed himself in and then would kick her away, as if she did not have any right to see the inside of it.

Understanding that man had always been a very hard task… But she had so selfishly closed in on herself not unalike him that she couldn't see any further than her own misery, or happiness whatsoever. Scrubbing the sponge against her skin roughly, she exhaled painfully. She would have plenty of time to try and comprehend all that had happened between the two of them… She would not leave things this way… She couldn't stop thinking of him… She wanted to be near him again… She wanted to bury him, at least, to return him to the soil that he belonged to…

"Bulma?" ChiChi's face brought the regal out of her trance for a split second. However, she did nothing to indicate so. "Bulma, are you alright?" She repeated her question from earlier, yet this time there was something more in her voice… Regret? Pity? The Queen had no idea what it was, and she couldn't bring herself to care for that moment. "Bulma, _please_, talk to me…"

"I have nothing to say." The same chilling voice that could make you shudder with its finality and non-caring. The raven haired girl stared stilly at her friend. She was trying to find a resemblance of what she had once been… She could nearly find none other than the looks. And even her eyes have lost the sparkle in them…

"Bulma, did you really love him so much?"

For a moment, the woman stood still with all her actions, just staring at the crystal clear water which reflected the light of the lamp. She them resumed her actions and until she was done she did not give ChiChi even a glance. Staring long at her childhood friend, the lavender haired woman took a glance at ChiChi's side before her gaze shifted back at the water. Did she really love him that much? Did she really care for the arrogant bastard so badly that she would fall in such a state of depression? Why was he so special? What was he so much? She smiled faintly as she knew the answers to the questions she thought only she could fathom.

"What do you think?"

"I think you should stop dodging my questions by ones of your own and start pulling yourself together." ChiChi got herself up and threw a towel next to her friend's tub where she could easily fetch it on her own. "Dwelling on the past won't help the situation and it most definitely won't bring him back."

"I don't care…"

Onyx eyes whipped angrily back at her before the gaze in them softened and became loose once again.

"But _we_ still care, Bulma…"

The door clicked closed after the maid, leaving a tattered regal all on her own in the midst of the spacious sweet-scented bathroom…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Time flew by and before anyone knew it, it was morning again. The light had a very hard time penetrating the thick mane of the woods and the mansion was granted little to no light at all, yet there were still some gaudy shadows outside. There were no birds singing, because on Vegeta-sei there were no birds to begin with. Bulma could recall how much she loved walking in the woods with her parents when they had some time off of all their duties, meetings and banquets. They were once peaceful times, if anything. The lavender haired woman could really find herself hating all those times when she didn't have real worries, yet made up some of her own, just to have what to do. She now saw that it had all been a useless action that now only caused her more pain at the thought of it.

Speaking of the former Queen, she had had a very pleasant, or as pleasant as it could actually get, considering the events of the previous day, night with no one else on the spacious bed. She missed Vegeta's warm body that heated the sheets, but she coped with the fact as she wasn't forced at once to fulfill her 'duty' as bait for her friends to have a roof over their heads. Personally, she cared none about catching a cold or being eaten by wild animals, whatever they could be. But she had to remind herself again, she didn't live only for herself. She had rarely, during her whole existence, ever lived just for herself.

The woman in question was now finding herself at the balcony connected to the room that she resided. Noon had passed, maids have come to call her down for lunch, ChiChi passed by to try and drag her out, but all of them, upon seeing the reluctance that the sapphire eyes adored them with, gave up and just went back to their duties. If she didn't wish to eat, that was not their problem. She would be the one to catch an illness, not them.

Yet around nightfall, when the Lord of the house returned, he did not take no for an answer…

Taking two stairs at a time, he stormed inside the room and found the fluttering curtains breezed by the light wind outside, that slipped between the large trees of the forest. There was a really fresh feeling in the air, chilling, easing… The young woman whose face and stature made her appear older than her twenty-three fragile years was lying with her back rested carefully against the back of a chair, her eyes closed in a blissful ignorance.

"Will you not come with me to dinner, my lady?" The Saiya-jin intended as calmly as he could. He had been on the market in the city the whole day and all he could hear about was the demolishing of the Palace. So what? Who gives a damn what happens to that bastard of a King anyway? It wasn't as if he had been much of a ruler to him either way. Disconnected from the outer world, the master of the mansion was only interested in the affairs that considered the price of his stuff and the prices of the things he bought. And that was not something that took the King's opinion in account.

"I ain't hungry, my lord."

The curt reply did little to smother the burning flames in the alien's eyes. He growled low in his throat and grabbed his wife-to-be by the collar of her newly delivered dress and lifted her up to his eye level and spat in her face,

"You – will – come – to – dinner – with – me. Am I clear?" His tone left no room for denial. Bulma didn't flinch but still followed him down the stairs in her daily attire, not really finding any need to be official in any way, since it was just a dinner table she was attending. Truth to be told, she really felt like her throat refused entrance to anything to her stomach, but not given opportunity to choose any longer, she'd have to force down some rice that ChiChi had told her she'd cook for supper earlier when she came a few hours ago.

Sitting down on the dinner table and folding a handkerchief in her lap, the lavender haired woman looked at her plate. The rice was still streaming and each and every grain of the rice was separate from the others, a thing quite a few cooks even in her former Palace managed to do. She always adored her best friend's cooking. Taking ChiChi as her cook had not been a random thought that jumped up in that labyrinth of a mind of hers.

"How do you like your rice, sire?" The unmistakable voice of Ariane inquired of her new master. The Saiya-jin in question seemed to possess no manners as he was eating open-mouthed, chewing loudly in an atrocious manner and shoving more and more of the white grain in his mouth. He looked up from is plate when he realized he was addressed and threw the maid a severe glare but otherwise did nothing else to intimidate her any further.

"It's fine." He barked and returned to his meal. Ariane, during the entire stay of the deceased Saiya-jin King on Earth, had figured that interrupting a Saiya-jin's meal wasn't really the smartest thing to do. But the stillness of the air around the mansion was making her claustrophobic. She felt unease and had the need to release some of tension. But instead of lessening the mood, it seemed to just tense up a bit more. She took a fleeting glance in her lady's direction noticing the huge contrast the well-mannered woman made to the burly male on the table. Her actions were reserved, easy and screamed royalty from afar. Did that guy even know what a jewel he had in his hands? "What do you say, _my dear_?" The two words were obviously quite foreign to his dictionary and sounded very strange coming from his huge rough mouth, but still his simple sentence managed to catch the attention, or at least so it appeared, of his counterpart across the table. She dipped her mouth with the handkerchief and took a look at her master.

"It's a great meal, my lord. I shall thank the cook afterwards."

"That won't be needed." The large hand of the Saiya-jin waved, and it felt as if a small fan was turned on. "Servants are not to be praised. Otherwise they might get too full of themselves. And no one would want that." Bulma did not question his politics about the treatment of 'the servants'. She had her friends and that was all she could find herself caring for. "I had one hell of a day on the market. Everywhere I turned all I can hear is the Palace's destruction, the King's homicide! Palace, King, Palace, King! Who gives a damn about the shorty anyway! In my opinion, he had always been all talk and no action! Legendary! He claims he's the Legendary! Right. The Prince had been fed with fairy-tales his whole adolescence most probably and it messed with his head."

"Could we talk about something else, my lord?" Bulma suddenly said, her head facing the plate. The Saiya-jin chewed loudly open-mouthed but shrugged and switched the topic anyway. Ariane noticed something he did not, though. The Queen's hands gripping at the cutlery were white from the pressure she added to them and her elbows were shaking most probably with rage. The auburn haired woman could well understand her regal. Insulting Lord Vegeta's memory in her Majesty's presence was something no one should do, and especially not so soon after his death. She was sure the strong-willed woman wanted nothing more than for the topic to be left at ease at last. But no one seemed to comply with her plea. "So, what is your name, earthling? You did not tell me your name yesterday, nor did you have the courtesy to see me off this morning. Have you not been taught respect?"

"I beg your pardon, my lord." Ariane noted with a light frown that all of the Queen's answers and statements were followed by a constant 'my lord'… Well then maybe, just maybe, she might still care a little bit for her self as she wouldn't want to be in the man's presence too long either. "I was dead tired and did not get up until the suns of Vegeta-sei were fully raised in the sky. It will not repeat again, my lord." She nodded her head in mute obedience. That obviously pleased the man to see and he nodded curtly back at her again.

"So what is your name, vixen? Have you not been given one by your weakling parents?"

"I do have a name, my lord." Bulma anything but spat the phrase. Calling her weak was one thing, but insulting her parents' memory? The nerve of that bag of muscles… He should've been thankful that Bulma had lost training during all those years of ruling Earth; otherwise she would've jumped him and taken him down with her if needed. "My name is Bulma, going by the family name Briefs, sire." Suddenly the burly Saiya-jin gawked at her, staring unmoving at her form with her pale skinny hands set peacefully in her lap. He blinked several times, as if wishing an obtrusive dream away.

"Bulma Briefs? The Queen of Earth?" He questioned, his eye brow still raised. "Do you take me for a fool? Earth has been destroyed long ago, it is impossible for its Queen to have survived. Perhaps you are some messenger, that just refuses to believe the death of your Queen and that is why wherever you go you speak nonsense just to confuse buffoons." He beamed proudly at her as if he just made an incredibly smart deduction. Bulma's expression didn't falter a bit.

"I do not speak nonsense, my lord. Ask any of my people. I am the Queen of Earth and by some cruel twist of fate my destiny has been ripped out of my reach and now I have no people to rule over and no home to return to. I have only you sire." Bulma could've laughed at the irony of the situation. Once upon a time, it seemed like so long ago, she had sheltered a battered Saiya-jin boy that claimed to be a Prince of a deceased race and he had no people, no planet, and no relatives. He had been stranded on her planet, thrown away by the tyrant that had destroyed his home. Now she was stranded on the planet which was resided by the destroyer of her home. It would be really laughable if it wasn't tragic…

"So, is it?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a sly grin spreading on his face much like yesterday when he had housed all of the survivors of the explosion of the place he seemed to despise so deeply. "That's just _wonderful_…" The way he said that made Ariane cringe. She never liked that face he was making whenever near her lady… It was just… Repulsing… It made her think awful things that could happen to her in the meanwhile…

"And, if I am not rude, can I ask of your name, my lord?"

"My name is Toma, Lady Bulma. But you mustn't call me by my name, it is improper of the lady of the mansion to call her husband by his name." Ariane made a strange expression, a mix of surprise, confusion and disgust. Husband? When did he get engaged to the Queen? Did that automatically made that imbecile King of Earth, even though there was no Earth to rule, actually… But the formalities were always something a maid had to take in consideration.

Getting up from the table, Toma made his way to the room.

"Aren't you coming to _join_ me, my lady?" Bulma's jaw tightened barely visibly. She cleared her throat and got up from the chair. She nodded to Ariane and slowly made her way up the stairs, as if postponing her fate could actually change it somehow. The only thing it earner her was a hard shove up the stairs that had her lose all her balance, nearly sending her to the dusty floor. She looked back at the Saiya-jin and noticed the lustful gaze that had taken possession of his face ever since they left the dinner table. "I think I can use a very special massage tonight, Bulma…" He purred in her neck, licking the side of her neck. "Last night I have done all in my power to restrain from climbing the bed while you slept when I watched you sleep." A shadow of a sane thought crossed the woman's mind and clenched her heart in a tight icy grip. He had watched her sleep? "Now I shall have my prize." He chuckled against her neck as she didn't struggle the least bit. Passivity would be the best tactic she could think of. She had no idea how twisted that Saiya-jin was…

As the door shut behind them and the Master of the house locked it he made his way to her front, looking down at her as she was several inches shorter than him. She swallowed subtly, refusing her eyes to show any emotion. She felt disgusted, tainted and disgraced. But she didn't care. Her body was no longer her possession. Her mind was no more her possession. Her soul had fled the moment the ruins had collapsed atop of the built body of her former lover. In her heart, she would forever remain his and only his. No matter who enforced themselves on her body, she would forever remember his caress, his touch, his kiss…

In a second's worth, her dress was ripped to shreds, allowing the horny alien a clear view of her ample breasts loose of any undergarment. He licked his lips before he threw her roughly on the bed and quickly climbed atop of her, even one limb of his enormous trunk too heavy a burden for her fragile body to take. Vegeta had never, if not during a physical fight, let his entire weight on her in fear he would crush her. She just started to realize how merciful the King had actually been to her through all those times she had cursed his name in her mind over and over again, like a mantra that would actually turn him into a different person.

She submerged with difficulty a squeak when the bottom of her garments was ripped of ruthlessly. She swallowed dryly. It was going to be a long night…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The blonde woman looked around herself as she took long fast strides among the huge crowd of smelly, barbaric Saiya-jins. She despised the creatures from the pit of her stomach. Her hate was probably created by the fact she couldn't stand her creator either, and they reminded her of him awfully. Yet she was not supposed to be under cover, so she would have to put up with their aloofness for a few short hours before she would pick some clothes and resume her search of the meddling young woman that the earth Queen represented and her gang of idiots that dragged themselves after her like the faithful dogs they were. The blonde snorted. Stupid earthlings, stupid Saiya-jins, stupid Universe, stupid Saiya-jin King. She hated all of them so badly!

"You seem lost, little miss. You look like a foreigner to me. Would you like some ethnic clothes that will make you feel a little bit more in place on Vegeta-sei?" A sly woman from a nearby counter asked the azure eyed woman and she considered leaving with a sneer before the thought registered with her mind. She needed clothes if she was going to be under cover, wouldn't she?

"Yes… Yes, it is quite so, I come from afar. I could use a tip in shopping." Her voice was smooth, chilling, yet strangely metallic and unnerving. Even though Saiya-jins were famed to be the most powerful race in the Universe, the saleswoman barely suppressed a shudder at the sound of the voice of the youth.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Bulma sighed as she looked out of the balcony's edge down at the mansion's yard. She let the reminiscence of the previous night wash over her as the cold air of the dawn passed by her, caressing her skin gently, yet causing goose flesh to appear all over her exposed limbs.

_She was lying nude beneath the broad Saiya-jin's body, and he had nearly taken off all of his garments as well. He was now kissing and licking her neck, as his hand roved all over her slender form, exploring every bit of his little treasure. He stopped when he found the place he had been looking for and let his fingers massage her in a rough manner which he would've most probably called stimulating if you asked him. Yet not a single sound escaped the stiff lips of his counterpart. She remained lifeless, motionless. She didn't even give a hint she still breathed and if it weren't for the light heaving and falling of her chest he would've taken a guess she was dead._

_The nerve of that woman! Even her breath was as normal as ever! She was completely ignoring him! How dare she? She was so irresponsive that even if he took her now, it wouldn't give him any pleasure. She appeared that even if she felt pain of any kind, she would not indicate it and would keep her lips sealed as ever._

_And his guess was quite correct as Bulma had come across, if even only through books, over people who were stimulated by the screams of pain and despair of their victims. She didn't feel aroused at all, she felt repulsed and disgusted. She loathed that man and she didn't have to stop her body from reacting to him as it was cold as ice. She would give herself to one and only one Saiya-jin and he was no longer among the living. _

_Getting up with a growl, Toma glared down at the rebellious petite woman beneath him. Her cobalt eyes remained attached to him, as if seeing right through his intentions, though his thoughts and schemes, as if she could see his soul if he had one. He released another low growl and leaned over her on his hands for support as he asked in all seriousness, his coal black eyes shining with intimidation that did little to scare Bulma at all._

"_Who do you think you are you little bitch?"_

_Bulma did not retort to that. And neither did she move. She remained stock-still on the bed, her naked glory making fun of the dumb Saiya-jin who thought carnal pleasures were all that mattered and one could not resist the needs of their body. What he couldn't comprehend was probably the fact Bulma's body's needs needed to be fulfilled by someone else, someone very different from him. He growled yet again and this time, fed up with the imaginary smugness that hid in her ghostly eyes, he slapped her very hard, throwing her near the edge of the bed. She did not even gasp upon the impact, did not even seize her cheek to mend the pain like any other normal female would've done. She just stood there, not looking at him. He couldn't understand her expression, he did not want to. He gathered some of his clothes and flew off the balcony in an undefined direction. He did not care where he went. He had to ease his temper before he did something he would later feel sorry for. He would have the strange haired woman, even if it was the last thing he did!_

Bulma stared zoning out over the balcony again. Her husband-to-be had been very mad with her, but the strike he landed in did not even hurt as much as she thought it would. Actually, her old time training seemed to be quite useful as she didn't even see a bruise this morning when she checked herself in the mirror.

Entering the room when she could no longer take the cold and ignoring it as successfully, she frowned from the first time since her arrival here when absorbing the picture around her. This place needed a good once-over and for good… It was so dusty that she would probably soon begin to cough up dust balls like those creatures that she once loved to play with on her home planet… What were they called? … Kittens, yes, that's right… Cats…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Battered and exhausted of all the things that have happened to him lately and the wounds of his that just refused to heal, the Saiya-jin King could no longer even drag himself on the ground. He had no power left in his drained body. He felt as if he would die of blood-loss any second now and he had had that feel for two days straight… He felt so alone and it all hurt so much. The pain was immense enough to cloud his mind, not to mention his vision. He could barely breathe, every little heaving of his rib-cage causing a jolt of agony run through his entire being. But it wasn't all that bad… He felt some relief that he couldn't quite fathom. It was as if… as if it wasn't his feeling, but someone else's… Could it be?

He thought he had broken the laughable binding to the woman when leaving her for Earth, or at least when they parted. But he could still feel her, as if she wanted him to know something… Something that she felt relieved about… What could it be, he wondered silently to himself.

He kicked himself mentally. He was dying and even so, in his last hours, all he could think of was her! _Her_! He couldn't believe himself! When had he become that weak? He had been just normal before she waltzed back in his life with a thud. And now she was messing with his head again. Why wouldn't she just leave him be? Didn't she understand he wanted to have nothing to do with her and her kind? He wanted to know nothing of her any longer!

Sighing, and afterwards feeling sorry he had done so for the numbing pain that coursed through his entire upper half, he looked up at the tall forest trees, between which light could barely come though. He smiled faintly when he remembered her sleeping form on his bed, the mess that her hair was without a hairbrush that seemed to do wonders to it. Death did not care whether you were strong or weak… It treated equally both stronger and weaker ones… He could succumb to one last weakness before his last breath.

Bleeding to death… What a pathetic death for a Saiya-jin no Ou… He deserved to die in the heat of the battle, not of its aftermath upon his body!

That was what the shadow above him also thought. He noticed it just before it was too late. A smirk graced his features before darkness engulfed him. Well, at least he'd die from the hands of the enemy, as every Saiya-jin King should…

And then… there was darkness…

* * *


	13. Ch13: Downfall of a King

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Thirteen: The Downfall of a King_

Days later Bulma watched her Lord leave the mansion with growing anxiety. Even though she had never truly wished anyone other than Frieza real harm, yet she found her self disturbingly anticipating his depart. She wasn't like the damsels you read about in fairy tale books, oppressed by their tyrannical husbands that they have not joined by love and have been forced into marriage with. Her case was not the same, very far from this one, actually. There was still no place for question whether she was oppressed or not. Her master's recent attempts to… how can you call it? Claim her sympathies? His recent attempts at claiming her sympathies had become rather out of any control. The man had no idea what he was doing in the first place!

True, he _did_ try his best at showing respect for her. But that happened only because he wanted her to respond to him in bed. He did attempt to be romantic at times… but then he would continue his ravishing and cruel sexual ministrations that would make all his hard work meaningless to the Earth royalty. He did try hard to be gentler and understanding to her… but that happened only in bed and he never succeeded at any of his attempts. All he did, trying to be someone he was not just so he wouldn't have to enforce himself on her or wouldn't have a motionless rag doll beneath him in bed, was plain futile. She would never see him that way, for whatever reason. He was just not her type, as we'd like to say.

It was an enigma too why he did not wish to enforce himself on her. Very few were those types of Saiya-jins, Bulma had figured for all this time reading the very limited collection of books in the mansion's library. People who have such violent ruthless culture could never be gentle lovers. She figured that no Saiya-jin woman would want a gentle 'mate' after all, being, too, a Saiya-jin herself. And, for that reason, Bulma couldn't help herself but wonder… why had Vegeta been so gentle these five years ago? Was it because he thought her fragile? True, he had just transformed to Super Saiya-jin then, and he probably still had no idea how to control his power. But, had she not proved beforehand that she was _not_ weak and breakable? Er, well, as far as physical fighting was concerned, that is… Had he wanted to be gentle with her? Did he take her for a nuisance even then?

The lavender haired woman stared after him, spacing out, as the burly Toma threw himself over the horse, and took a glimpse back at her, sending a very sly grin her way. Her face didn't move to indicate she had seen it, but she managed to force her hand to wave his way before he disappeared into the woods for God only knows what reason. Yet she welcomed the opportunity with open arms as she would be able to spend some more time with her friends, who she had no idea what were doing as servants in the house as there seemed to be done no chores… Dust was steadily building a fifth layer, making you sneeze just upon setting a foot over the entrance's doorframe. The sheets have probably been there for a decade. The only thing that was occasionally done was the dishes. That fact prevailed only because there was, much like the books case, but a limited edition of the plates in the mansion. Being a mansion did not mean it had to be tidy as those in the fairy tales…

As she watched her suppressor vanish into the shadows of the forest, Bulma let out a sigh that seemed to be torn from somewhere deep inside her lungs. It wasn't as if her husband had been any rougher than the usual these last few days. She had even grown accustomed to his cruel ways. Yet do not mistake the growing accustomed with something with being fond of it, or just accepting it in any way. That was far from the truth. She would never be fond of that man for his lack of hygiene, respect and understanding for any living being. He was cruel and ruthless and cared nothing about those around him. He didn't want her because he wanted to please her, mentally or physically. All his attempts to take her when in bed have hinted her only that the act he wanted to commit to her would be as one-sided pleasuring on his behalf as it could get. Frankly said, it would be no better than a rape, even if she did grow some affection for the man.

Bulma's thoughts were reeled out of their tracks as ChiChi entered the balcony slowly, not to startle her ruler too much. To serve the nonplus of the Earth Queen, the maiden, for once in these few days the group had resided the place, did not carry anything in her fragile hands. She was otherwise always doing something, always attempting to clean, to sweep the dirt away from the carpets, to brush the dust off… Yet all her tries ended the same way. She would end up giving up no more than a few minutes after initiating her assault to the uncleanliness, coughing her lungs dry or having her clothes covered with the dirt she had swept off the carpet. The case was serious and as long as Toma refused to let her friends and the other servants clean the mess that he seemed quite comfortable with all the dirt around, as unfathomable as that fact was to all the residents of the household, it would remain as hopeless…

"You seem happy he's gone?" It was truly more of a question, but ChiChi didn't really want it to sound that way. She knew that it was true, but as if the Queen's admittance would make it even solider. But, it truly would, wouldn't it?

"How can you tell?" The cyan eyed former royalty questioned her eye brow quirking. She had been thoughtful and her train of thought had reeled into a quite different direction from the grotesque householder. ChiChi merely shrugged.

"I just can tell." Bulma nodded at that.

"It's true…" Her expression was wistful in one second, the next she exposed an angry expression and gripped her palms clenched. "Who the hell does that guy think he is, huh? And what's with this place, anyway? No light even during day if you don't go out. It's as dark as twilight during the sunniest of days! And it better be that way, or you'll see the dust balls rolling on the floor which is covered in _layers_, ChiChi, _layers_ of dust! And that guy, ugh! He's so disgusting! I really find it _very hard_ to stand in the same room with him, not to mention sharing a bed! Every time he touches my skin and I try to crawl my way out of the sheets, damn it. I think some of these days I may catch the virus idioticus bacillus, I swear!" She crossed her hands protectively over her chest as if that simple gesture would help her case in any way after her little rant. ChiChi didn't seem to have altered her expression even the slightest bit over her friend's tantrum.

"Even though you try to sound angry, you are never serious when word is brought up of that, are you?" A pair of cerulean clear eyes blinked the confusion of their possessor away as the woman in question eased her pseudo-mad mask and ran her hands through her long lavender locks. There was one good thing about being there. At least _now_ she could brush her hair with the proper instrument – she had a hair brush all of her own. But so thought the female maid that it actually belonged to…

"I'm starting to think I'm really an open book to you, Cheech." The raven haired girl smiled lightly despite herself. But the feeling wavered fast as the heiress' lips did not curl into a smile in return. She was just looking over the railing of the balcony, staring into a spot unknown and probably unimportant. "It's true… I don't want to be serious about the topic… The details are not important to you or any of my friends. Such details about my intimate life should not be delivered to any one…" The onyx eyed girl's brows narrowed.

"And what if Vegeta was still here and hid somewhere in this fortress? Would it be any of _his_ business what happened in your 'intimate life'?" It was truly a rhetorical question and ChiChi knew it. And so did Bulma, so no answer was given to it. But Bulma let a meek smile grace her features for a moment's worth as the thought crossed her mind.

If Vegeta was alive… She did not dare even in her most courageous dreams let the reverie cross her mind seriously… Otherwise it would certainly settle in a small corner of her mind, and each passing day she would dream of it to become true, that she would live the day she would see his handsome face again, that the golden light he emitted every time he transformed would always wear a light feeling of her presence beside him… She always knew he would also never forget the reason behind his Super Saiya-jin form… And for the years she spent all alone, locked up inside her own mind, she couldn't get rid of the reminiscence either… Every time her eyes closed, she would see the striking erect spikes of aureate colouring, the same familiar smirk that would make her want to slap him, to kick him, to hold him close to her… The piercing cobalt gaze of his harsh eyes, speaking mutely of years of oppression, depression, loneliness and hatred… When he transformed, all that had ran through his head that entire time, she knew it surfaced again, back to taunt him for his past weakness, to redeem of that time of subtle torture…

But in the end… had he really been able to come to peace with himself? Had he really made it to Heaven? Or was he tossed into the pits of Hell, with no question of redeeming available for his sinned soul?

A dark smirk crossed her features.

"He would've been berserk by now for you referring to him so disrespectfully." She said, her tone lifeless, just the way she felt herself too. Even though she was giving all she could to recover from her mental wounds, it was impossible to merely forget about someone that you have practically shared your life with… But that had almost never been really him… Just the memories of what he looked like, what he talked like, how he behaved like… Memories and thoughts of what he would say in a certain situation, how he'd belittle her for being so inferior, how he'd taunt her for being so weak-minded and shallow willed…

"Bulma… Dwelling on the past will help you none…" ChiChi released a pained sigh. No matter how frequently she led this discussion with her Queen, the stubborn woman still just wouldn't listen to her words of wisdom. Yet ChiChi could understand that well… Even the strongest of beasts would waver had their heart's desires and hopes been damaged… She could understand that, but it had already been an Earth's week and the Queen wouldn't stop going out on the balcony, thinking for hours on end, keeping her mute posture, making all the other servants in the mansion believe she was truly incapable of communicating. "You need to pull yourself together already. If you don't, that bastard is going to use you blatantly!"

"What does it matter whether I'm conscious or not if he just decides it's all the same whether I'm willing or not when he forces himself on me?" ChiChi's eye brows narrowed. She couldn't bear to look up to Bulma's face; she wouldn't be able to withstand the look in her eyes… She would've been more pleased if it had been an expression of pure hatred, of complete revolt… But she also feared the regal no longer cared for either her body or her soul… It was the part that made the raven haired maid clench her small fists tightly until a point where she thought her hand would bleed from the pressure. "What does it matter what happens to my mind… But then again, closing it off in a small box inside my head… Wouldn't that help me preserve it a little while longer?" The hollow sapphire depths turned to lock with ChiChi's onyx eyes. The same onyx eyes…

"You have lost your will to live, your majesty. I cannot allow that to happen to my mentor and best friend…"

"What can you do about it? Even I can't help it, Chi…" Bulma turned her eyes back over the railing of the balcony. "I… I have… I have never been really strong…"

"That's bullshit, Bulma, and you damn well know it." The younger girl spat in malign. She had never wanted to see her ruler's downfall to such an inferior creature. Her composure had wavered, the fire no longer burned in her eyes, she did not smile at all anymore, even if she had never done it occasionally before…

"Do you know, ChiChi… why I chose to hate Vegeta all those years ago, even despite the fact he saved me numerous times from that scum that crawled aboard of that spacecraft Frieza stuffed me into?" ChiChi's jaw tightened. Of course she knew… But she had never thought she'd live the day Bulma would admit that to herself, not to mention speaking aloud about it… The regal had been transformed beyond belief, into something ChiChi could barely recognize as her late friend, Bulma Briefs, a fair Queen and heiress of the Earth fortune.

Turning sharply on her heel, the long haired maiden made her way over to the balcony's glass sliding door and paused for a moment before stepping over the frame. She spoke back to her friend, without turning around to face her.

"Pardon my boldness, milady, but I wish not to speak with strangers. Whenever you see my life-long friend Bulma Briefs pass by, please do tell her to go by my quarters so we can have a conversation. That's all I have to say for now, mistress." And with that, the girl disappeared into the darkness of the mansion's inside. Bulma felt her lips pull up from the corners of her mouth as the thought passed her head.

"I'm happy that at least one of us is still in high spirits, ChiChi,…"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

A pair of tired once-tanned lids slowly slid upwards to reveal a pair of worn out onyx orbs. Their possessor's consciousness swam in and out, making his composure wither several times before the events penetrated his memory again, making his eyes snap widely open and he attempted to stand up from his lying position, yet his attempts remained futile as he could find no power in his drained body to do even as much as sit up.

'This is so pathetic…' He thought as he tried to recognize the room he had been placed in. All he could remember was this huge shadow over him, a menacing grin in place as the fiend bent over him. But all was dark afterwards, as he probably blacked out from the blood loss he had endured. 'Am I still alive…?' He wondered, finding that he was placed in a premise completely foreign to his royal self. He had never really been a King for praise, as he worried about his people's woes from afar, in his Palace's chambers. He had never taken trips in the country and especially recently after the warning of those bastards arriving on the face of Earth.

Earth… The woman… _His_ woman…

"I see that you're awake, young warrior…" A mysterious voice turned to him, making him turn sharply around out of reflex but instantly regretting doing so as a sharp pain ran throughout his entire body. And that's when he noticed he was tied to a table…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The female's arms were folded together and laid on the railing of the balcony, the coldness of the stone-made parapet failing to each the heiress' senses. Her head was resting with her cheek against her arms, her eyes boring into the nearest tree by the balcony. She was, once again, thinking about everything that had happened, and this time she was mostly trying to pull herself together much like ChiChi had told her to, even though quite harshly…

The raven haired girl had always been Bulma's voice of reason in time of need and for that the heiress would be eternally thankful to her friend. But every time she mentioned it in front of her fellow earthling, the other girl dismissed her own kindness by saying it was all a part of her duty of being a friend. Even though ChiChi was also a girl and was… well, a bit far from her age as the two were separated by half a decade, the lavender haired woman had always known that the two of them would be different. Both had fiery characters and stood their ground whenever needed… but ChiChi was also more of a warrior at heart than her friend… or at least that's what she thought.

Bulma had always had the opinion that if not for her friends around her, surrounding her with love and giving her confidence in times of need, she would've never managed to go this far, to live through so much and still be able to breathe in the end of the day. It was true, she was ashamed to be the person she was today, but with time, she hoped she would be able to rise with the sun, look at herself in the mirror and not turn her head around in disgust… She wished all these wars the Saiya-jins led would be put to an end and that the Universe would be able to be a peaceful place again, as it had been once upon a time, in the most ancient of periods.

What with them lacking a leader, the woman couldn't think of any other course of action but anarchy… She could imagine what the battles for the throne looked like and sub-consciously she wondered if her lord hadn't gone for so long to the city for that sole purpose. Her thin eye brows narrowed at the thought of that Cerberus becoming the King of the land. Vegeta may have been a harsh ruler; he may have been cruel in composure and rough when it came to conquering other planets… But he had his reasons, his goals, and his values in life… But he knew many things and possessed nobility not many could vaunt with any longer… At the end, she had always known he would make a great king to his people… After all, that was just another reason for her to give him another chance at life with the Dragon Balls…

Suddenly the sound of insistent scratching reached her ears that perked up immediately. For all the hours she had spent staring into the distance for these past few days, she had developed quite a sixth sense and impressive instincts. Bottling up inside her mind most of her other functions, for hours she would stare into nothingness, the sounds of the nature surrounding her the only music to her numb ears. She could tell if something was wrong or if anyone was around her as she had already memorized most of the sounds around her…

Standing up from her position by the railing, she made her way inside, coughing a bit upon coming in contact with the germs inside the premise. It was a rather hopeless condition with all the dust around and it was just another reason for her to be out the whole day.

She crept nearer the door, hearing as the scratching intensified there. Her expressionless façade didn't falter for a minute as her hand reached out for the door handle. She turned it slowly, sweatdropping as she noticed the small creature that had been intently scratching on her door for the past few minutes, granting it access to her quarters. The little trouble maker released what reminded her of a bark and she laughed lightly, bending over to pick her old friend up from the dusty ground. The being stared at her hungrily, and if it could it would've grinned widely. It tried to lick her face for a hello, but stopped only to sneeze as a dust ball rolled off its sensitive nose. Bulma laughed again.

"Hello, little fox!" It growled at that and attempted to release itself. "Now, now, don't tell me you want to get back on the ground where all those mean balls of dirt are lying around." As if seeing she had a point, the little creature ceased all movements, letting the regal collect it in her embrace. "I thought I lost you somewhere on the way…" She said nearly out of breath, bringing the animal closer to her. The innocent fox-like creature stared baffled at her but didn't release a sound as it let her do with it whatever she liked. "Where were you all this time, foxy?"

Had the Argida only been able to talk, it would've told her that her master had caught it and put it in a cage in the maze of the underground floor where are invaluable things have been disposed of. It was dark and moist in there, quite an improper place for an Argida that loved the light and needed to run around in order to stay perfectly healthy. After all, even though it lived on a different planet, it was still an animal and all wild animals need their freedom. Otherwise they'd become… well, they'd be in the same situation as Bulma right now…

But unlike its master, the little creature just barked again and brushed its head against Bulma's hand. The Queen smiled. No later than a few seconds after, she snapped her free hand's fingers in the thick air that filled the misty room.

"That's right; I never got to call you anything didn't I? Well, then, let's think of a name for you, little guy! You seem to mind the foxy thing a lot, don't you?" It growled at her to prove her right. She sweatdropped again. "Er, point taken…"

The woman put a thoughtful finger on her sharp chin and her eyes averted upwards towards the ceiling where some sun rays were penetrating the room, making all the microbes floating in the air visible to the unarmed eye. Yet she paid no heed to the sight, as she had already grown quite accustomed to it, but couldn't wait for the day she'd be able to exterminate all that dirt surrounding her fragile spoilt body. After all, you couldn't just shove a Queen that had always been treated with great respect and had always been given the best of quarters into a pigsty and expect her to be okay with it…

"How about my name? What do you think of being called Bulma?" The Argida growled at her and bit her finger lightly, playfully. The cyan eyed ruler sweatdropped again. "Yes, you're quite right, little one. I guess that's what I deserve for attempting to be 'creative'. Then… What do you think about… Roger!" Its teeth sunk deeper into its skin this time. "Ow, well that was uncalled for… I like that name really much! There was a guy in the Palace on Earth that was called like that and he was a really kind man and—" She stopped mid-sentence as she noticed the almost-bored expression the little beast watched her with. "Alright, fine! Jeez… Well then… Hmmm… This name picking business really sucks, you know…"

No answer came and she had expected none… She wished the little fiend could speak right now. It would surely understand the situation she found herself in… And what was she doing? Picking names for an animal, a pet long forgotten? Well, not _that _long… And she tried to tell herself she had remembered of it quite a few times already, but she knew that wasn't true. She had been so stuck thinking about the events of the passed days that she had forgotten all about her friends and 'minions' as Vegeta had once liked to call them… She had been so selfish all this time, not minding her friends being worried about her and the hardships her mind was going through…

She could start redeeming herself by taking a bit more care about her pets, for an instance. Now she understood why her parents never let her have any pets. They've probably always known she had a very selfish side to herself and would stay buried in that library of hers until she exhaled her last breath, probably with a shelf or two collapsing atop of her, making it hard to breathe… A disturbing thought, really… Your own parents mistrusting you… Well, she hadn't been one of the most reliable people until she turned nine, and even after that she had become rather, um… How do you say? Obsessed? That would be quite a correct shot…

"Trunks? Umm… Thomas? Rick? Jade? Shadow? Yori? Seraphim? Foxy?" All had been rejected, making a small vein on Bulma's forehead throb. "What's with you? Are you going to like any of the names I think up for you? Aren't you a pesky one…" The creature just stared maliciously at her, its fur looking stranger than before. "Are you _that_ angry with me? And here I thought that you wanted a name…"

It took Bulma quite some time and staring before she realized something.

"You're not male, are you? All the names I came up with were male… So… How about… I call you Vega?" Suddenly the creature eased its tense frame and jumped around her on the bed. "So you like it that way, don't you?" Bulma leaned back on the back and caressed the soft fur of the Argida, smiling lightly all the while. "Well, Vega, now that we gave you a name, how about some… what time is it anyway?" She looked at her watch. "It's already noon! Jeez, I really do seem out of it a lot, eh? But you know what?" Vega stopped and looked at the sapphire eyes with her crimson ones. "I think that you just seem to load me with some much needed energy. Who knew I was such an energy vampire, hahaha!" She laughed ridiculously and hugged the Argida to her chest.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Man, what's with those people… A Queen can't seem to get a snack around here without someone tailing her, telling her don't eat this, don't eat that, jeez… I'll eat whatever I like; I'm the freaking mistress around here anyway!" Bulma rioted as she sat herself back on her bed, an hour or so later. Vega jumped over the edge and made a few circles around her self before settling down, pulling its big ears close to its head, and letting out a slight yawn. The regal smiled at her pet friend. "Yeah, I know what you mean… After such a nice snack, I'd love a nap myself…"

However, remembering about her little friend brought back memories of Bulma's time at the Palace. But she decided to skip that part and rewinded back to the time when she was given that super-computer that contained all the data that the Saiya-jins have gathered. Instantly she couldn't help but wonder if Vegeta hadn't foreseen that too and that could be the reason why he had given all that precious information to her so lightly like that… Maybe he thought that with her, the secrets of his people were safe. Or maybe he had merely attempted to atone for his selfishness and possessiveness and for keeping her in one and the same room with no touch with her friends over the time whatsoever… Whatever it was, she was quite thankful now that it had occurred so… If it hadn't been for the little device, most of the important information would've been lost to the collapse of the Palace, as all experiments and researches went down with the labs…

Pulling out a capsule from her pocket, Bulma felt thankful to her father for inventing those in the first place and for taking some with her when she boarded that spacecraft that time ago… She couldn't even remember how much time it had been since she left Earth, for the last time… A month? Two? Time had become something of no value at all for those past few weeks… She had been so lost that even ChiChi probably thought her a nutcase already.

Throwing the capsule on the ground, it created a small hurricane of dust and smoke, making Bulma wave a hand in front of her face while coughing.

"Damn this place… If it wasn't a refuge from those bastards that destroyed the Saiya-jin Palace, I would've had Goku turn this place to ashes a long time ago…" She picked up the computer and typed her password in. She grinned as she began scanning the files with her eyes. "Enough sulking. I better get back on my solid feet and get some data on just who those idiots were… Vegeta insisted he didn't blow up my planet, so it's probably the same culprit…" She put a thoughtful fist to her chin and turned to the purring Vega, caressing the animal's fur again. "What do you think, Vega? Are we going to be able to do something to avenge our King?"

The being's purr sounded much more affirmative than any of us would've imagined…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The spiky-haired Saiya-jin struggled against the binds that were tying him to the bed that he was lying on currently. It looked like a medical bed… He had no idea how he got there, but he could figure that this person had brought him here after he blacked out.

"Now, now, don't struggle so much, little King… I'm not going to hurt you…" The shadowed persona said from the entrance of the premise, closing the door after themselves quietly, as if not to disturb anyone.

"Don't come near me, or I'll blow this place up!" Vegeta threatened, his eyes adopting a horror that a caged animal would feel knowing its end neared. But the proud regal wouldn't let his emotions drive him too further. All he had to do was release himself and get away from this place.

"Oh, now, that'd be a hard thing for you to do…" The female voice explained, sitting next to his bed. The dark eye brows of the King knitted together and narrowed over his eyes.

"And why is that? Last time I checked I could blow up whole planets with so much as a single blast!" He tried to release himself again, but the same pain ran through his body again upon the impact of his bones being rubbed hard against the material that was holding him down. "This is pathetic…" He muttered under his breath. He couldn't look up at his kidnapper… All he could do was lie down and hope for mercy… What had he been reduced to?

"Look… I see you're not from the type of people who like to be tied down, so let's just cut this short… Will you promise me not to take any drastic decisions if I let you go?"

"What kind of promise is _that_?" The Saiya-jin spat, his eyes blazing with fury.

"I like your spirit, kid. Just remember you're not supposed to be here in the first place and that you're very weak right now and everything will be tip-top." A few seconds later, Vegeta felt the relief of his body being released from the clutch of the cloths that had been wrapped around him and his tense muscles relaxed a bit. He sat up and looked around. No matter how he looked at it, it still looked like a deserted premise of some sort… And a very soggy one… Not to mention dirty…

"Where am I? And who the hell granted you permission to address me so disrespectfully?" The King growled his temper back in track. His captor just grinned at him. He couldn't quite make the outlines of her face, but she didn't sound much older than him… And he was already twenty-eight, going for his twenty-ninth year… How dare that woman call him a child?

"You are in no position to threaten me, your majesty…" The woman stood up and walked slowly towards a table of some sort that he couldn't see the contents of from that angle. A pair of dark eye brows narrowed over onyx eyes.

"And just in what position _am_ I?" He snapped back, already fed up with the entire conversation that they were having.

"Do you remember your fight with the androids, my lord?" Oh, so now she goes back to politeness with him, eh? It reeked of someone who just plainly disrespected his entire bloodline… And he hated Saiya-jins like that. But then again, was she Saiya-jin? So many questions rounded his head like a dark cloud and he could give them no answers, nor was he willing to ask this cocky female for any of them… At least he thought so at that time.

"How do _you_ know about my fight?" His fists clenched tightly and he took a defensive stance. "It was supposed to be one-on-one combat within the Palace limits and everyone was already evacuated!"

"Well, let's just say that _I_ know _everything_." He could almost sense her malicious smile from afar. Crossing his hands over his chest, the man made a grimace but still decided to play along for a while before he ditched this joint. He had more important matters to attend to, like killing those tin cans and returning to his ruling as a King of Vegeta-sei.

"So what _about _my fight with them?" He urged her to continue; as much as he hated conversing it was still a part of diplomacy and an important part of being a good master to his subjects. Even though Saiya-jins were the strongest race in the Universe, they could not afford to conquer every single planet. Some of them had just given themselves in upon hearing the sole name King Vegeta and knowing the rumors he had been the first Saiya-jin ever to reach the Golden Warrior state they knew the entire planet's fire force was going to be but a little to no obstacle at all for the bloodthirsty King. Vegeta smirked at the remembrance but was soon brought back to reality by the woman's calm voice.

"You wasted most of your energy on them and since they have been first designed to feed on ki, you have merely served them a wonderful dish." She was making something on that table of hers but the King was too stubborn to approach and see what it was. He frowned at her back.

"So? I couldn't let them escape under no condition, so I drained myself in a last attack. What's so bad about that?" He snapped at the woman that he knew would no doubt have absolutely no combat experience at all. After all, it was a man's duty to protect his land.

"What's so bad is that if I didn't pick you up at that river bank, you wouldn't have survived with wounds like yours."

As she mentioned it, Vegeta took some time to himself to check his body's condition. There were obviously new scars, some deep wounds that were already starting to heal, and there was some lint around his forehead but he could feel no pain anywhere over his body. His deep gaping wounds that had oozed with his blood were now reduced to what he liked to call minor scratches, even though they were better than scratches with the fact they didn't hurt at all, unlike the real ones…

"So what am _I_ to you? Most of my subjects, even though I try to be a good ruler, would backstab me without a second thought. Why would _you_ want me to be alive?" His curiosity was starting to pick on him, nudging him and making him ask questions like that which he could no longer dare answer himself. He had no idea where he was, what he had to do and how much power he had in himself. He had no idea how long he had slept or what had happened to him… He just knew this woman had taken quite good care of him but had no idea with what kind of intentions exactly…

The woman turned abruptly around and looked at him with intense… clear cerulean eyes. Vegeta was quite taken aback by their colour as it reminded him awfully much of his minx's eye colour… Oh, how he wanted to see her again. He thought he had already died and that the two of them would never meet again… But now… Now he felt fulfilled! He was already eager to see her. He wondered how she felt about him after all he had done…

"I need you alive, my lord. I need you alive so you can win against those androids…" She told him and approached him. "And I know how you can do it." She grinned strangely at him. The Saiya-jin grimaced.

"And how am I going to do that if I keep the chit-chat and don't go fetch those tin cans?" He snapped, trying to make his way out the door but was stopped by the insistent female.

"You cannot go now, master. You're too weak!" She warned him. "You're in a fortress amidst the woods that were by your Palace. It is a safe place that they will not think of raiding. You have to recover here before you do anything rash." She explained, going back to her table. Vegeta growled as she turned her back to him.

"How dare you call me weak? Who do you think you are, woman!" He barked at her and jumped from his position on the medical bed (or something) and instantly winced at the impact his decision had on his injured body.

"Do you see now why you have to be a little bit calmer?"

With an intense frown on his features, Vegeta crossed his hands over his chest again, demonstrating stubbornness. He sneered and looked at the woman again.

"So what do you suggest, huh? That I just walk around this mansion, having Saiya-jins recognizing me. And what do I do after that, eh I-Know-It-All?"

"You are quite as sharp and foul-mouthed as they say, milord." Vegeta gritted his teeth at the statement. "And this is exactly what is going to allow you to walk around the Mansion, talking and taking part in any kind of activity you want without being recognized."

"Cursing everyone around?" He lifted an eye brow. That sounded plain ridiculous…

"No, this!" She held up a bowl of something that was still streaming and poured it into a glass. "You have to drink this in order to be able to walk around here without anyone recognizing you."

"Are you a sorcerer or something?" He sneered again, not trusting her enough to take the suspiciously streaming glass from her hand. Her blue eyes looked up at him and she smiled… oddly.

"Why, yes, I am. You catch on quite fast, mister King." Her grin made his skin crawl. That woman was dangerous and he knew it. But what she said made sense. "Now drink it so we can get up and I introduce you to the staff."

"What staff?" He lifted up the crystal glass, looking into its contents with great suspicion and doubting he would let this stuff pour down his throat.

"The servants' staff of the Mansion, of course." Had he drunken from that vial, he would've spat it out this instant.

"Servant! Are you mocking me! I am a _King_, not a servant! How dare you make me stoop to such a level, you—

"Now let's not say mean things, milord. In order to survive you must play along…" The woman explained to him calmly as ever, yet her Lord seemed not to take things so easily.

"You are not going to make a servant out of the King, you witch! I refuse to drink this! I have no idea what it could actually do to me if I do!" He saw her indifferent shrug as she put the bowl back on the table and continued packing her things neatly near each other.

"Alright, don't drink it. It's only a matter of time before the androids find your ki pattern from here. And your woman as well as all Earthlings and Saiya-jins will disappear off the face of the Universe and then soon the Universe will quite follow their lead and we have an eternal "happy ending", don't we now?" Vegeta's eye brows narrowed in thought. She was right… If he didn't win this time, he would probably never wake up… The woman would die next, as well as all her friends and all his subjects. He didn't give a damn about the Universe… But all of his torment, all of his woes and cares when he had been back at Earth collecting Dragon Balls with that woman, the time on his planet as a ruler for only five mere years in Earth date when he could barely keep his mind off a certain lavender haired girl that had bloomed into a beautiful woman… All of his life would have been in vain; he would've failed to protect her… Again…

"What the fuck does this thing do?"

"It will mess up your natural genes a bit." Vegeta cocked an eye brow. "Oh, it sounds worst than it actually is. It will make your hair fall down for an example. No, you will not be bald; I mean that your genetically passed-down-the-generations hair style will be reduced to something still spiky yet not as erect. And it will probably reduce some muscle mass."

"How can a drink do _that_?" His eyes had widened slightly in his disbelief. The woman smiled at him her eerie smile.

"Don't forget I'm a sorceress."

Vegeta gave the drink another glance.

"And what will happen after I drink it?"

"You'll change and we'll go on the first floor and introduce you to the others."

"A servant…" Vegeta growled to himself, gripping at the vial for his dear life. He thought back to her words… They'd kill the woman. Nothing else seemed to matter but the fact the woman would be destroyed. This woman that he had guarded under his protective wing for so long he could not remember anymore. When had it become so that most of his thoughts drifted off at her direction? When had she become such an obsession? When had she managed to grow and mature so much that he noticed a lot more things about her during her stay at his room before the demolishing of the Palace? Why was it that he no longer refused to admit it even to himself that he would not let any harm come to her? Was it after their first night together? Or maybe it was after their journey for the Dragon Balls? Maybe it was his permanent distraction during those five years of her absence that had turned him into a protective fool.

What it was, it didn't really matter anymore. How low would he stoop for one weak woman; that was the question that prevailed. A king turning into a servant? Can you name anything more embarrassing than that?

With a painful sigh, the King lifted up the vial and drowned its contents. A whole new world of humiliation waited ahead of him…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Everyone, this is my nephew, Rain. Please treat him well and don't give him too heavy tasks to carry out. Bow to your elders now, boy." The woman told him. The youth next to her refused to oblige. Her eye brows narrowed. "I said bow to your elders, boy!"

This time he was forced by his guardian into a respectful bow, but his eyes were clenched shut as he felt the pain crawling in his skin at the thought. He had been the one everyone bowed to upon so much as seeing. Now what was he? A mere servant boy who had to bow to his elders! The humiliation… Thank goodness his father couldn't see him now…

A girl grabbed his hand and dragged him somewhere. The back of her head seemed quite familiar to him…

"Come on, let's leave those old people to their 'respectful' stuff, we should go off and collect the dishes from the driers! Hurry up, Rain, we have much work to do before the master gets back." It was Bulma's right hand maid, ChiChi. But what was ChiChi doing in such a place. And even _she_ ordered him around. Carrying dishes… That shouldn't be a hard task…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The boy fell down on the dusty floor, his eyes blazing with fury. He had just got a taste of the embarrassment that was to come and he already hated it. Everyone here ordered him around, do this, and do that, treating him like a real servant! He had been reduced to a mere boy for everything, for everyone to kick around. So that was what they called the downfall of a King. He had fallen after the moment he had laid eyes on that woman. It was inevitable to becoming closer to her after all that time they spent together, but he was afraid maybe it would turn into something more of a devotion on his part. Thank goodness _she_ couldn't see him like that. She'd probably mock the daylights out of him. And that hair was getting him his eyes!

He growled and pushed it away only for it to return to its previous state. He growled again and was ready to punch the ground in anger. Why must this happen? Why did he have to be… _this_! He couldn't even use the proud name his whole clan carried because he was too weak to counter attack… So pathetic… So weak…

A sickeningly pale hand reached to fetch a few of the fallen dishes by him, putting them neatly one over another. He looked up to meet the eyes of the one woman he had sacrificed the last thing that remained his – his pride of being a King, a ruthless ruler, who now… carried dishes around the house. The goddess just smiled a weak smile at him. She looked like she had been through a lot for the time he had slept…

"Aren't you a strong boy, taking so many at a time." Her warm smile touched corners of his soul he thought he'd never feel alive again. "Me and my little friend Vega would like to help, right beast?" She ruffled the Argida's hair, the same animal he had given her as a pet in the Palace. "Though I must attend to this work I have ditched for so long, so I guess we'll see each other around, okay?" She smiled warmly and stood up, the little animal jumping towards him and rubbing itself against his lap, letting out small sounds that resembled a purr. "What would you know, Vega likes you! She liked only one person besides me! See, don't despair! Just keep going forward, like Vega and I, right?" She picked up her pet and waved at him, disappearing into the darkness of the mansion.

Vegeta stood there in shock, still not believing what had just happened to him. The animal had recognized him yet his mate did not? Was he so different? Not to mention that she now… Did she even care? She no longer looked like herself and she treated him in a completely different way…

He collapsed forward on his hands, looking down at the dirty floor.

"What the hell have I been reduced to, goddamn it…" He muttered bitterly to himself, wondering where his old life had gone…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_I am SO ashamed of myself. I have no right to ask for reviews and I know that perfectly well. I'm so sorry for the late update you guys, but I was into reading manga so much that I forgot about writing. HUGE author's block, if I may say so myself. I was even thinking of quitting fanfiction writing. Thank goodness for Shades of Crimson. She's not reading this fic, but I want to say that I LOVE YOU WOMAN! Reading others' work is such an inspiration! Hohoho... So here I am again, and sorry for the long wait... Hope you don't hate me completely for this chapter… I'll probably lose readers this way, but I think it's a neat idea for now. Besides, you have no idea what will happen next and if you still care, stay tuned with me, your loser of an author! xD_


	14. Ch14: Self Righteous Homicide

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Fourteen: Self-Righteous Homicide_

Vegeta's 'flashy' entrance back in Bulma's life, or perhaps hers in his life, subsided in the background as the day passed on, the pair meeting their eyes in the long murky hallways of the manor every now and then when their paths crossed, the male's hands always busy with his next charge.

No later than the next day, there was another newbie at the mansion's staff, a very rare event to the life-long servants at the place. The moist and dangerous-looking confines of the forest looked no more appealing to the average Saiya-jins than a dusty ditch under a busy city street. But then again, judging by her ridiculously straight platinum coloured hair and exotic yet scaring azure eyes, the adolescent girl didn't look even remotely close to an ordinary Saiya-jin female.

As he first caught a sight of the familiar devoid of emotion face, Vegeta's fists had clenched into compact form fit for fighting. Then he realized that he was still 'under cover' and any suspicious acting on his part would be inconvenient for his stay at the manor. So, overcoming his senses that were alerting him of the fast approaching danger, he hadn't even greeted the blonde that went by the name 'Juuhachigou' now. He best preferred to stay out of her way and even though he was sure it wasn't her intent, she stayed out of his as well.

However, from his knowledge was concealed neatly the information that the odd woman that had presented him with his 'shape-shifting' potion had been right when she told him the artificial humans knew the pattern of his life force. Upon first meeting with the altered version of the Saiya-jin King, the girl hadn't shown any facial reaction as to acknowledge her acquaintance with the guy. She barely even looked twice his way. Her scout's work had been done and now all she had to do was wait for the right time to take the bastard down once and for all.

What had eluded her calculations was the midget dark haired human ex-bodyguard to the renowned Queen Bulma, and more precisely the fact she had grown a sore spot for the little guy. She scorned herself every time words in the same spirits as 'cute' and 'adorable' crossed her digital mind when encountering the young man in the hallways or having to deal with his 'orders' as her 'caretaker'. She daren't say a thing to other servants about being ordered around, careful not to break out of her so hard obtained cover, and if she had to be honest to herself – she didn't even want to complain to anyone about it. How could she? For the first time in her evanescent life, she could actually willingly tolerate a humanoid that wasn't her twin brother.

And, hell if she wasn't enjoying it!

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The following week for the two new servants passed in a daze. While Juuhachigou was making Krillin's blood freeze in his veins when she made a sarcastic comment at his address to parry one of his so-called orders he had the duty to give as an instructor for the woman, Vegeta was having a hard time with his subtle serving at the manor.

It wasn't as if the people treated him like the dirt he thought himself to be now that he was degraded from a well-known and respected royal blood to a lowly next-to-nothing-worth of a male-maid. Quite the contrary – he found that he was treated as an equal by them and didn't even care that much about it, also noting that there was less to no hypocrisy at all in their words compared to his life as a King on his own planet. It was true that Saiya-jins weren't noble at heart and probably every single one of his subjects close to him would die if only they could match his strength and rip the crown out his lifeless hands.

What bothered him awfully was that for the smallest amount of time he spent with the woman – meeting her in the library where he went for a short meditation when they gave him some time off from his duties; having small insignificant conversations with her and things of such manner – was making him feel already claustrophobic from the closeness even a spacious place manor as the one he was residing stirred in him.

It was the tiniest signs in her eyes, her smile his way that made a difference from her usually distant and done out of politeness one that she sent everyone, her words of kindness when she thought he was in distress in certain moments and trying to encourage him… Those things she seemed to show only to him in an unfathomable even for herself – he was sure of it, – amity that just came naturally to her when around his transformed self that seemed to bring out that monstrous obsession that he had of her… An obsession so ferocious and possessive he felt as if he was dirtying her innocence that she still had left, after the atrocious way he had used her in the past to amuse himself, with its clawing power raging against his chest every time he saw her smiling at him, not knowing who he really was…

He tried to ignore his senses that were now close to making him writhe in pain from the fact he couldn't even lay a finger on her, because now he was a stranger to her… again… He was so close to her, yet even more far away from her soul than he had been the first time he laid eyes on her scrawny nine-year-old self… Through the time, they had established a very odd bond between them… A link between their two personas so unique he still couldn't quite comprehend it.

But that was irrelevant to him now. All he knew was that he was disgusted with his need for her, for her warmth, her optimism, her radiance. He was repulsed by the thought he was, once again, weak enough to be incapable of protecting her. His every muscle yearned for more power… He yearned the power to reduce those two metal marionettes cinders and set his enigmatically working conscience at ease by returning her the favour of reviving her nation. It was truly puzzling how he felt worse for not being able to protect – something he had never done in his life for anyone else than his self before he met her – than destroying and enslaving much more powerful and potent worlds than her own.

He detested his guts for being so weak as to actually _need_ her presence in his life. He was the _King_ of the _strongest_ race in the Universe! He shouldn't need _anybody_! And yet… there he stood, facing the matter he had managed to force in the background for five years – his body and subconscious _screamed_ for her to come and pull him out of his misery… of the shame of what he had been reduced to because of his physical incapability… He wanted her to encourage him, soothe his tension, and have her embrace him in a way he wouldn't even begin to return…

But his last brooding thought held a whole different idea in itself for him, a realization and a very important question stirred to life by it – he had never returned any of her affections… Then why was she still unable to resist him, to push him away, if she claimed he had shoved her into Hell and that she hated him for it?

The answer was so clear and blindingly obvious, but to the alien, who held no understanding for the lunacy Bulma so much liked to call 'love', it was a mystery that would perhaps never be unveiled…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Things have been… well, tolerable, even though hardly, in the mansion for Vegeta's first week as a servant for someone. But once that walking and breathing nightmare of a master came back, it was the prelude to apocalypse…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The day Toma came back was quite a memorable one. He didn't feel quite at home with all of his servants actually doing what they were paid for, sweeping the floor in the kitchen, washing the dishes after every meal not letting any of that awfully familiar and slightly cozy after all the time reek of old rotten food stick to the plates, and not to mention that the sheets covering his bed actually smelled _nice_…

However, the presence of the two suspicious-looking newcomers didn't serve his temper well. He had demanded what the two were doing there and who let them slip into his manor. His balled fist had collided angrily with the dinning table that night as he and his 'wife' ate their share for the remains of the day. Bulma, being the great diplomat and pacifist she was, had ensured him the two served no treat, as she knew both to be distant, yet not the least bit dangerous. Or that was what she thought…

"I suggest we skip the matter, milord," she offered with every fiber of her nobility. "What's more important is how you spent your week." The burly man sneered at the question, not really aware of the swift change of topic on the woman's account.

"I went to the city, thinking it would be as boring as it ever was, finding out instead some psycho scrawny kid turned half of the place into ashes during his tirade or something, looking for whomever. I swear that punk had luck I wasn't there at that time because he certainly would've got what was coming his way!" Bulma doubted such a thing could happen, knowing it must've been the same 'punk' that had killed Vegeta, and cursed her luck for Toma not being there, so she could get him off her neck once and for all! Whoa, now… those thoughts really made her do a double-take and rethink what was going on with her.

Even though her mental discussion was a heated one, she still managed that charming polite smile of hers, which would get her in more troubles than she could imagine. Her once impassive state faltering was not only a complete a hundred and eighty degrees turn but an immense turn on for the sick Saiya-jin that failed to mention his visit at an old friend's house that had convinced him into 'teaching that woman some respect' upon hearing the sappy story of the 'humble' household.

"Seeing you grin like _that_ is quite a change." He snorted after his remark, finishing the leftovers from his meal. Her appetite, however, remained just the same, her skinny human hands barely touching the delicious foods.

"Yes, well…" She turned her head to face the tablecloth. "I've decided that dwelling over things that cannot be changed is a waste of effort…"

"Aren't _you_ quite a philosopher?" He asked in a rhetoric manner, standing up from his seat. Bulma's sad smile fixed into a confused expression on her smooth facial features while she watched the Saiya-jin making his way towards her, a frightening flame burning in his eyes while she housed a subtle question in her own. "You think you're too good for me, don't you?" Her eyes widened noticeably when he pulled her out of her seat unconcerned if she was done with her dish as he clenched a tight hold around her wrists, almost reaching a breaking point. "We'll see about that one!" He roared, picking her up and swinging her over his broad shoulder unceremoniously like a bag of potatoes, ignoring her as she thrashed against his back.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked in a panicked manner. "Put me down, Toma, please! Where are you taking me?" She asked an obvious question, already aware – and speaking truthfully, afraid – of the answer. Her sapphire eyes darted to the pair of servants in the room that she had barely seen the faces of before. "Help me!" She called to them. If there were three of them, Toma would certainly release her.

However, none of those Saiya-jin slaves moved a muscle for her. She didn't know how many times they had seen their sisters, mothers and girl-friends being taken to the bedroom of the beast of a master of theirs, raped mercilessly by the abuser. They were powerless to stop the act, even if they interfered. The act would only have his fury released upon themselves and that wouldn't help the women's tainted bodies afterwards…

They looked with sightless eyes as the woman disappeared from the room, a look full of despair and dejection etched on her features before her departing…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Bulma hit her small fists against the wide back of her abductor, various curses leaving her mouth as she demanded to be released only to have her back slam into the surface of the bed, hearing the door kicked shut and locked afterwards with a very horny Saiya-jin climbing his way up the bed, a course straight toward her promising form.

She felt a familiar bile rise in her throat as she felt the brute ravish her body. She tried to enforce the memory of Vegeta's passionate touch in order not to vomit the small amount of food she had actually managed to swallow down.

Having the low-life of a Saiya-jin scum that was probably old enough to be her father made her feel more violated than ever… and there was a slight tint of a different emotion in it. What was it? She could be mistaking, but was that guilt? Why would she feel as if she was betraying anyone, when the only person she had cared for in _that_ aspect was _dead_? It was true; she had a particular… amity for the new boy, what was his name again… Rain, was it? He had something about himself that attracted her, strangely but surely. And still, her liking for the youth wasn't even close to the powerful emotions she felt for the late King. Having even slight affections for the boy didn't lead to as _much_ doubts over her love for a certain flame-haired man as the act that was going to be committed to her now led for her 'connection' with the newcomer.

She felt awful and slowly began thinking that she deserved this… Her train of thought started reeling into musings that as time progressed, the dark haired adolescent would fast replace her feelings that she always thought as 'strong' ones directed at Vegeta and have her move on with her life – more importantly her love life – faster than she wished. She didn't even _know _what made her look twice at the youth! He was… just an ordinary Saiya-jin. He had a cool, calm and quiet attitude, always subtle and not wasting his words on anything that didn't deserve them. Besides, he seemed anything but giving a damn about her existence: always avoiding any conversation with her if possible, ignoring her questions, not acknowledging her presence. He was almost… almost acting like Vegeta had… The thought had repulsed her, as she always claimed Vegeta was the one and only. That is, the one and only asshole as obdurate in the entire Universe.

Her thoughts smeared into a blur as she noticed that her clothes were nowhere to be seen on her body, turned into rags and thrown at the floor while the intimidating large man stood above her, a particular organ in his body painfully close to her.

Tears of anguish and hatred for her weakness and powerlessness welled in her eyes as she tried to pound him off herself as he bounced against her so roughly she could scream. Yet she didn't betray a single sound as the brute continued moving against the dry entrance to her body, her failure to comply with any cooperation causing her just more pain. She didn't care. She'd die before she ever gave in to that heartless bastard.

When he became fed up with her resistance, he caught her wrists in a firm hold above her head, bruising the milky white flesh where he held her.

"You're soon going to start enjoying this, little one." He chuckled coldly at the statement as his adrenaline skyrocketed at the feeling of her inner muscles around him.

Bulma squeezed her eyes shut, reminiscing that Vegeta had told her the very same thing during their first time together. And he had been correct.

But this time held no enjoyment for her to take.

That night, after her abuser had used her to _release some tension_ and thrown her away, she cried herself to sleep with the thought she had to be stronger, stronger than ever before, the next morning, knowing that this was just the beginning of a whole new Hell for her. The last of her dignity had been ripped out of her, torn apart in front of her very eyes and stomped over. God knew how much she needed the cold flame-haired Saiya-jin King, whose insults might be cold and obdurate, but the obvious protectiveness and strong awing presence were warm and soothing.

"Oh, Vegeta…" she whimpered, her spinning head dragging her into the anything but comfortable darkness of her restless subconscious mind…

x.x.x.x.x.x

And she had been right with her slight hunch. It was only the beginning of series of brutal enforcements on the host's behalf. She hadn't a clue what made him change his mind over the topic of having intercourse with a motionless mute doll but she could hardly find herself caring. All that mattered was holding up her smiling polite posture and the smile that made her whole face ache with the insincerity applied in it was becoming fast an agonizing nuisance and the need to just cry herself until her eyes went blind to the monstrosities committed to her became overwhelming.

Even though her composure didn't change much to the servants, both ChiChi and Vegeta noticed the difference in her behaviour, the marks on her wrists, the way she sifted uncomfortably or how she flinched when certain parts of her arms were touched. Her swift mind would come up with a slim lie right away, to keep the inhabitants of the house unaware of her 'private life' but what she didn't know that a weary onyx pair of eyes were following her every move now…

Vegeta had tolerated, although not effortlessly, the fact that another probably touched her, saw her naked form night after night, _tainted her_ with his repulsing scent on lingering madness mixed within it. But when it happened in front of his very eyes, it just proved to drive him over the edge that he had been close to with his obsession over the lavender haired Earth Queen and his brooding over what occurred in her private chambers.

Even though she didn't want to turn into one of those panicking whimpering females that crawled into a ball because they weren't strong enough to brace themselves after… _that_ kind of violation, she found soon that her happy-go-lucky attitude wasn't a right option either… Her kind mouth had got her into another painful episode, this time in the middle of the kitchen which was empty at the time, most of the staff redirected into a different part of the manor by the thoughtful Toma. She had the full intention of shrieking her lungs dry, but finally having someone more powerful than her to help her in her time of need.

But having a huge hand that stuffed all the noises you emit surely made it though for her to fulfill her plan…

"Do you think this is funny, bitch?" The angry Saiya-jin's thrusts were rougher than usual. "I will see you break… I'll see you give in, even if it's the last thing I do, you cheap ass whore!" He whispered huskily in her ear, his nose twisted up in an almost disgusted manner.

His sentence only made her determination and self-destructive stubbornness strengthen. Not a sound, not a _moan_ of pain would elude her! Never! She would go through with this as many times as that monster wished, she would _never_ give in!

To serve her luck, Vegeta had picked that exact moment to take a snack before going back to… whatever it was he had to do – he could always ask that harpy ChiChi again later, drive her insane with his failure to care what she was talking and go back to work afterwards. What his eyes witnessed made his fists clench at first, his hair and eye brows waver between their obsidian colouring and the platinum one of his Super Saiya-jin form before he decided that the scum didn't deserve the honour of him blowing his cover – _especially with the blond bitch in the mansion_ – for the likes of him.

At first, the King had been taken aback by the sight, disgusted with it. Then his overwhelming rage at the scene unfolding before his eyes enveloped his entire being, set his every fiber on fire with the wrath and finally resulted in the regal springing into a plunging motion, slamming his shoulder in the side of the villain, sending the monster in the nearest wall. Bulma covered her nudity with the last remains of her clothing that still hung on her form. Vegeta took a brief note of her action over his shoulder, his gritted white canines for his opponent to see as the larger man rose from the hole in the once-white wall.

"You have no idea what you just got yourself into, small fry," the man growled as he got up, but he was greeted by the straightened forward palm in the unmistakable form of a Big Bang prelude of his attacker. The boy's eyes glared with a rage so powerful the tension around the pair could be easily felt.

"Say hello to all the fuckers in Hell for me, low-life." The cool intimidating calm voice that held so much unconcealed malice was blocked out by the deafening blast that followed milliseconds after.

Bulma covered her ears and sunk to the ground and didn't look up even after everything subsided. The wide agape hole in the outer wall was the only proof that there had happened anything. It slowly dawned on her that it was all over: the rapes, the insults, the scare, the physical pain, she broke down in tears that she had been _longing_ to spill for a long period and her composure finally withered away completely…

Vegeta turned around after he collected his hand back to his side, looking at the crying female that lay with her feet sprawled beneath her form on the floor. His eye brows tilted slightly up in pity before he gathered himself together, forcing them back into a furrow as he frowned, crouching down next to her.

He had no idea how the whole manor's crew would react to his bold actions. He didn't care. He couldn't stand a second more of that imbecile hurting her in front of his very eyes too! It had to stop, and why shouldn't he if he could? He saw no coherent reason not to blast the son of a bitch to the same place he had sent that queer Frieza.

However, both Bulma's and all the inhabitants' reactions were anything but what he had imagined…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_I think you're getting bored with the fic and I on my part am fast losing interest in a dying work. So instead of dragging this out, I'm going to take it to a faster end, but not hasted enough to look rushed. So, yeah, hope you liked the action. I must say that I'm still writing this fic just because those either people that cared enough to stay with me even during last chapter… _

_If you even care enough to want to see the end of this, please do review. I appreciate it highly. Every comment I get, I truly treasure, especially for this story._


	15. Ch15: Symphony of the End

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Fifteen: Symphony of the End_

The youth stood stock-still, erect in the middle of the room, his posture stiff with tension he couldn't possibly rid himself of as he looked at the ruefully weeping female on the ground. Her fragile hands were shaking violently with an emotion he couldn't quite place as she hugged herself as tightly as her limp limbs would allow her to, concealing her humiliating nudity from his prying eyes.

All he could do was stand there like a log, staring listlessly at her. It wasn't as if he was void of emotion—quite the contrary! It was perhaps the fact that far too many emotions were raging inside of him, making him feel incredibly tongue-tied, which was—in itself to begin with—a _very_ rare event, having a wit like his and all… Yet it seemed that he most needed to say something, when he needed all the creativity he could collect from inside himself to comfort her—a word which repulsed him with its mere sounding—he couldn't come up with an utterance!

_It will be alright now, don't worry!_ No, it _wouldn't_ be alright! She had been violated—_repeatedly_—and that was _anything_ but alright! He couldn't give her back the dignity she had lost to that bastard; he couldn't return to her the respect for herself she had before she had been forced an act as revolting as a blatant rape… For some reason, he couldn't possibly lie to her it would be alright!

_I'm here now, don't cry._ He was there. So what if he _was_ there? Who was he to her anyway? He was no longer even to be considered a friend of hers. Where had he been when she had first been assaulted by the jerk of Saiya-jin scum? Where had he been when she most needed him? It was his fault she was in such a situation in the first place! Besides, the sentence wasn't something he was comfortable with saying; wasn't used to saying and it felt alien to him, if even only in his mind… Then how would he be possibly able to voice those thoughts aloud when he himself didn't understand those feelings? It was ridiculous, preposterous even!

_Stop crying and pick yourself up, woman! Grow a backbone, for Hell's sake!_ Rude as he was, obdurate as he was, the second the thought crossed his mind he kicked himself for it. It wasn't his place or right to lecture her on what to do with her life and attitude after everything he had done to her. He had put her though the same Hell he was swearing in; he had given her a taste of bitterness at too young of an age… He had been the first to try eroding her personality; he had been the first one to insult her crudely, to mock her, to taunt her, to try and dishearten her… to damage her mind and soul… And—damned he should be for even acknowledging it only to himself—he felt the tiniest tinges of regret for being quite successful at it. He was powerful, strong; he could defend himself physically; his entire life had been spent of building physical strength while she was just a fragile human woman… He couldn't possibly imagine how painful it was for a woman to be raided of her dignity in such a way… in such a disgraceful act as forceful intercourse with a man who repulsed her.

So instead of saying anything, he stood there, watching her weep while footsteps sounded down the hallway signaling the fast approach of the servants. They found the pair in the same position in which they have stood for several minutes now. If it hadn't been for the still smoking corpse of the tyrant of a Master of the manor, they could have had quite a wrong impression about Vegeta's intentions.

There was a long lingering moment of painful stillness, the only thing which broke it being Bulma's occasional sobs and sniffles muffled by her hand clasping her shuddering mouth. During that agonizing moment, it was obvious that everyone had been too stunned to react. However, it didn't actually as long as Vegeta felt it did, suddenly broken by loud cheers and gleeful cries. The servants hadn't been happier in their life – they had been finally set free of the dictatorship of that monster which treated them lower than scum.

Among the crowd was Juuhachigou, staring intently at the dark haired adolescent who seemed to be in a dizzy, for some reason she couldn't possibly care enough to try and fathom. Her cold eyes shined with the same dread-stirring realization as the onyx ones of the late Saiya-jin King did.

_Even though he hadn't transformed into Super Saiya-jin, her brother knew for certain the King was alive._

Although it had been a negligible amount of energy that he had produced to turn that bastard to cinders, it would certainly be enough to alert the dark haired artificial human of the area which Vegeta resided.

In other words, he was as good as dead.

It was just a matter of time now when Juunanagou would find them and reduce their puny selves to decaying corpses. It was definitely _not_ a very optimistic mental picture, and the mere thought of death could unsettle even the calmest of characters.

Oddly, however, Vegeta felt calmer than he had ever felt in his entire existence.

Yes, he realized he wasn't strong enough to fight and win his right to live. He was well aware they were all going to die. But perhaps he had been aware of that the entire time and it just didn't come as a surprise any longer… What was the use of prolonging it? If he had to die, then he would. If he was to die by their hands, then so be it.

Odder still, he found with astonishment with himself that the thought of never having a decent conversation with the woman before he died saddened—for lack of a more accurate word—him more than the actual process of dying.

For the time lately that he had had for himself, he had managed to realize how much the fragile human female had given him in such a short period of time compared to his life expectancy as a Saiya-jin. She had acquainted him with emotions that could probably make him warm if he just opened his heart to them—companionship, friendship… and the love of another. She had so selflessly given until she could give no more. She had served him her heart and soul on a silver platter to do with whatever he pleased. And not _once_ had he returned those feelings in any ways, never had he made her feel needed, useful… _loved_… The latter he would probably never be able to do, even if he put all effort into it… It was just that the feeling was unknown to him, incapable to cope with a heart as cold as his… And that was an eternal truth… a truth that could never possibly change.

And still, she struggled. He could clearly see it in her eyes whenever they met in the house. She could feel that it was him, Vegeta, the same Vegeta she had loved, but it reached only her senses… Her mind couldn't realize it… and he would be thankful if it never did. He couldn't face her wrath when she figured out he had been alive the entire time and hadn't even dropped a mere hint about it… and eventually had put her through another Hell… Although she claimed she had hated him, detested him the entire time… he could see that the memory of him that was the only thing holding her together. And he wasn't being selfish or arrogant when thinking that—he was just being a realist.

The sigh that escaped his barely parted lips was lost to the unceasing cheers of the crowd. He noted emotionlessly that both ChiChi and Ariane were itching to rush to the woman's side yet were uncertain in how stable of a state of mind he was. Shaking his head barely visibly, he walked to the squatting female whose body convulsed with each sob and he kneeled down next to her. She couldn't even feel his touch as took off the cloth that swathed his waist and wrapped it around her instead.

The noise finally died down as he rose again, not sparing a glance more to any of them but the blonde who observed his every move as closely as a predator would follow its prey. The pair shared a meaningful glimpse before his back was facing her and slowly disappearing into the darkness of the murky corridors of the manor.

He needed some time to himself… He needed time to think… He needed to understand just why he was not as ill at ease as he should be…

…And he most definitely needed time to erase from his memory the sight of the strongest woman he had ever known weeping like a little infant over something he could have prevented if he hadn't acted like the biggest coward to walk under the suns of Vegeta-sei…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

As soon as Rain was out of sight, a distressed pair of human women dashed towards their Queen, flinging themselves on their knees next to the squatting exotic haired regal. It took them a decent few minutes to finally make the royal blooded female come out of her nervous wreck while Goku and Krillin made the rest of the staff scramble back to their work.

"Bulma, Bulma!" the brunette of a personal maid of hers shook her by her shoulders as gently as she could manage. "Brace yourself, Bulma! It's us, ChiChi and Ariane! Bulma! Are you alright? Stop crying, Bulma, please! Calm down…" Her voice trailed off as she hugged forcefully the inadequate woman who seemed disturbingly close to insanity.

At first, the Queen's hysterics threatened to get violent before she—finally—snapped out of her daytime nightmare, returning ChiChi's hug heatedly.

"Oh, Chi, I was _so_-so—" she hiccupped several times, unable to finish her sentence.

"Yes, honey, I know… I know…" ChiChi stroked her head comfortingly in a maternal way. "Calm down, sweetie, it's over now…" The brunette could feel the relief enveloping her insides when she felt that her Queen was indeed trying to calm down—and was being quite successful at it too. Pulling away gently, the obsidian pair of eyes locked with the sapphire ones. "What happened, Bulma? Are you alright?" she repeated for what she felt the hundredth time for the past few minutes but felt very much inclined to hear a positive answer to.

Rubbing her eyes hastily, it registered in Bulma's mind what had actually transpired in the last few minutes. She looked around, scanning the room for the enigmatic Saiya-jin youth who had saved her but everyone she saw were her fellow human friends.

"Where is he?" she suddenly turned to ChiChi, urgency in her eyes.

"He's dead, Bulma, it's alright! Everything will be fine now—" the brunette offered kindly, thinking her friend had probably gone mad due to the pressure she had experienced today.

"Where is Rain, where did he go? I…" Her eyes fixed on a spot on the ground while her voice trailed off in thought. "I—I couldn't even thank him for his… help…" Her cerulean gaze fixed on ChiChi again. "Where is he?"

"He's around here somewhere, milady, but milady must rest now!" Ariane interjected, making ChiChi nod at her statement.

Although she resisted, Bulma didn't have a choice – the two girls wouldn't have it any other way. She had to oblige but she did so reluctantly, making a mental note of highest importance to find the boy first thing tomorrow morning.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The blonde found the person she was looking for in the yard behind the towering Manor, his back facing her as she plodded towards him. When she was only a couple of meters away from him, she stopped abruptly and crossed her hands over her chest, her listless gaze fixed sternly on him. He was meditating, she could tell. She could almost swear she could see his gently blue aura surrounding him, colouring in the palest gold hue you could ever see every once in a while.

It was a wonder what being close to an inferior species could do to you, she let herself muse for a moment's worth. At first, when she and her brother had read what Bulma had written in that petty diary of hers, Juuhachigou had been disgusted with the weakness that shone through all of the King's actions towards the Earth Queen in the past. The blonde just couldn't grasp the concept just _why_ someone far stronger than another would linger around long enough to begin to get influenced by the second, not to mention growing even slightly _fond_ of them! She, for an instance, had a relative… or so she had been told that Juunanagou was to her. But she could have cared less a month ago if he got killed in combat. He meant nothing to her, even though they had spent so much time together. They were merely created for one and the same purpose, with only one goal – destroy the Saiya-jin King and rule the Universe.

However, after spending such a short time with the midget calling himself Krillin, she was actually starting to wonder if she could identify herself with that goal any longer. Vegeta had done nothing to her – he could have cared less about her existence until they blew the Earth up. Regardless of the fact her brother and she had an infinite supply of energy; she couldn't help feeling distressed by the data that had been input in her. Saiya-jins—and especially their King in particular—could display astounding willpower and—she acknowledged this guess with slight distress—whose battle power capacities seemed to be as limitless as her ki-supply was… She couldn't help the feeling that, if they pushed his buttons in a wrong way, she and her brother could end up being the preys instead of the hunters…

"You realize that you have just signed your death sentence," she said, finally breaking the suffocating silence.

"Quite," was the curt cold retort she received. She shifted her weight to her other foot in slight annoyance with the guy's high and mighty attitude in a situation when he was handicapped.

"My brother will spend night and day searching for you. He's certain to find you," she informed him nonchalantly, as if he didn't already know. He kept silent for a moment which was longer than the blonde could tolerate. Her light eye brows narrowed over her stone cold eyes. "You have eluded him; therefore he will take care you suffer a gruesome, agonizingly slow death."

There was stretched silence and this time Juuhachigou wouldn't be the one to break it.

"By you saying 'him'…" he made a dramatic pause for effect; "…should I be touched that you are throwing in the towel and I should no longer be alert you can jump down my throat any moment?"

She surprised herself by actually contemplating the question for a moment before answering.

"I suppose you better be, hot shot, or I might decide to change my opinion." He didn't plan on retorting to that. She was quickly becoming tired of this exchange. She had no idea how Bulma could stand this guy – he was so infuriating! Just as she thought that, she slapped herself… Maybe she was spending _far too much_ time with that twit Krillin… "Perhaps I have decided that I no longer wish to be involved in others' personal grudges that do not concern me the least."

"Careful, careful there!" he exclaimed with extremely thick sarcasm. "That almost sounded _human_ for a moment."

With a low growl but nothing else, Juuhachigou retreated from the scene, remembering the promise she had given her brother. She was just a scout and her job had been only to find the rascal. She had sworn an oath to her brother that, if she found Vegeta, she would tell him so he could personally get rid of the Saiya-jin. She didn't need to get in trouble with her trouble-making relative just because of some jerk who would die anyway.

It was either that or she was growing alarmingly soft in an alarmingly short time… a very disturbing thought to say the least…

Oh well.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

It came as a surprise to the entire mansion how quickly the mistress had recovered from a shock like the one she had endured. ChiChi couldn't help being suspicious but it was useless to interrogate the Queen over the matter. Even if she hurt, she was hiding it well from just about everyone. The brunette was starting to worry that Bulma was once again trying to enclose herself in a shell and deny anyone entrance to it. However, worried as she was, there was nothing she could do about it. Her Queen was a grown up woman and she could make her own decisions.

ChiChi could just hope they were right ones…

Being a former Queen and being used to order people around—as well as quite well acquainted with coup d'etat—Bulma wasted no time in lingering around, doing nothing. She was back on her two solid feet the next morning, ordering people to clean every room in the entire Manor, to change the curtains to ones in brighter colours, and to do all the rooms up as God knew how desperately the place needed it…

As soon as she had given everyone a task, she decided to find the Saiya-jin who had saved her the day before and return his cloth. Of course, it was just an excuse to see the quiet youth and to try to converse with him, try to figure out who he was, what he wanted in life… Guilty though she was to admit it, she couldn't hide her affection for the youngster any longer. However, it was perhaps just maternal or sisterly affection that she felt for him… She couldn't know. That made just the more reasons to talk to the enigmatic creature.

She found him in the yard… training. The word made her heart tighten in a vice and twisted it around mercilessly as it reminded her terribly of everything Vegeta had done all the time—train himself unconscious… She shoved all thoughts of the flame-haired man out of her mind as fast as she could, deciding to dwell over the past some other time.

The boy threw series of punches and swift kicks in the thick forest air, jumping around and doing somersaults in the air in the interim. She couldn't help admiring his fluid motions and the speed of his attacks… yet she couldn't help the nagging feeling of déjà vu about their pattern… There was something… something quite oddly familiar about them which she couldn't quite place. However, deciding that it was a fruitless discussion to have with oneself, she just shrugged the emotion off as she approached the guy.

"You seem to have so much energy," she pointed out, thinking she was just making him aware of her presence. However, she was quite oblivious that he could use the ki-monitoring technique quite well and had long since known she had been standing there, admiring him, or whatever it was that she had been doing.

"You have no idea." He was so blatantly cold… However, if _such_ a thing disheartened her so easily she wouldn't have made it even to "friends" terms with the arrogant Saiya-jin prince. She smiled to her mind. How silly of her to refer to him as that – prince… Perhaps to her he would always be that, the same teenager that loathed Frieza for destroying his people and denying him the right to even know his parents… the same hatred-driven teenager who he had been… She shuddered. The thoughts made her feel uncomfortable…

"It would be nice if I could still do that myself…"

"Don't even think about it," he growled out. His head turned over his shoulder, glaring at her from the corner of his eye. "I don't like playing the role of a nanny."

"I don't recall thanking you for yesterday." Her hands gripped the fabric of the cloth in discomfort.

"I don't need your thanks." He turned his back to her again with a snort as he did so. "It is not for your thanks that I did what I did."

"What for did you do what you did then?" she inquired innocently. This time he faced her completely, their eyes locking for a long time. She couldn't quite place the look he was giving her but it was clear that he was searching her eyes. What was he searching for? She couldn't figure the guy out… He was odd… He was so different from the others… He reminded her terribly of Vegeta… and a painful reminder he was…

"You are my mistress," he pointed out.

"That is not a good enough reason for people like you." She smiled kindly at him, like a knowing mother.

"People like me, you say?" he creased an eye brow at her, his hands crossing over his chest before he could realize it. "How are you so convinced you know me well enough to classify me in a certain stereotype of people?" There it was! The same smile again! It was patronizing, irritating in a way. She was trying to make him feel inferior to her, wasn't she? She was driving him insane…

"I am quite convinced that I know perfectly well what type of a person you are." Her head tilted slightly to the side in a meaningful manner. "You are independent, like to do things by yourself and your own rules, you think people unworthy of your words—which is why you speak as rarely as you do—and your trust is something one wins with a lot of effort but can lose in the bat of an eyelash." She paused for a moment, studying his facial features for a reaction. Indifference and impassiveness was all she could find. She pushed on. "You try to hide your feelings even from yourself, and you hate to admit your wrongs and defeats."

"Tell me when I'm supposed to applaud your precise characteristic because I would hate to miss the moment," he remarked sardonically rolling his eyes in irritation. So far she had been far too precise for his liking. Wasn't he supposed to be a stranger to her now? Was he so see-through?

To his surprise, instead of rebuking with an argument, she just laughed and sat on the step of the veranda.

"Did I say something amusing?" his voice was slightly rising in volume with the annoyance he felt piquing. She shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry; I did not mean to offend you." She blinked profusely, blinking back what he could've mistaken for… tears? "It's just that…" She paused, her throat suddenly growing dry. He cocked an eye brow at her but did not urge her on. "It's just that you remind me of a person I had known…" she continued afterwards.

Annoyed with her though he was he couldn't help feeling the tinge of curiosity of what she would say to a stranger if asked about her opinion on the topic of his character, of Vegeta's attitude towards her. He had tried to convince himself for all those five years that they had been separated that he didn't give a damn about her, that he was protecting her planet and people just out of courtesy because he felt indebted to her. He couldn't know where fact ended and his self-deceiving began but he wasn't sure he wanted to know either. He had lived just fine, ruling his planet, ordering his people around, being away from her and her softness making him feel weak and vulnerable… but it was a fact that he hadn't felt much better without her there either.

It was quite a complicated matter but he decided he could allow himself the luxury of hearing what she had to say. God forbid, he was _interested_!

"A friend, you say?" He sat down next to her, avoiding eye contact. "Why do you speak in a past tense?" He felt stupid… playing a fool wasn't something suitable for a king of his caliber. Then again—did he have a choice in the matter?

"He passed away just recently." She wasn't at all eager to look at him in the eye either. "I miss him incredibly…"

"You humans with your pathetic friendships…" he shook his head in true dejection. It was truly appalling… These creatures, though weak and fragile, were so eager to be hurt more by creating puny relationships between each other, their pathetically short life-spans quite inefficient but quite long enough to make the one left behind after the other's death hurt terribly. It was laughable, how idiotic those creatures could be! Compassion, affection, _love_—all those emotions so important to them, yet all of them being the ones that hurt them the most. He had heard of unrequited love; he was aware that affection could be a one-sided thing as well. Some of them even felt compassion for there enemies, because "it was humane"! _Ridiculous_!

"Are all of you Saiya-jins as cocky as that?" She glared heatedly at him. "He used to say the same thing, all the time…" Well, duh! Perhaps he did because _it was the truth_! "At the end he understood that it was the care for another which elevates a person—in both mental and physical strength—and not emotions such as rage and hatred." There was a rueful smile playing across her lips while his eyes sunk to the ground. He hadn't known that he knew that… He was still as convinced that weak emotions had nothing to do with his physical strength… However, he didn't want to burst her bubble. He'd never believe the things she preached, he knew then…

"You said you miss him incredibly?"

"Oh, yes;" she laughed remorsefully. "That I do. I miss the bickering and the way he treated me as if I don't come from a royal family, just like he did. You most certainly know him, your King? Did you know I was a Queen too… before a pair of monsters destroyed my home…?" Her eyes grew hard with grief. "I thought it was the most terrible thing that could happen to me. I was wrong…" Her jaw line tightened and she blinked profusely again as more tears threatened to spill. With yesterday's events and reliving the pain of that fateful day… it was overwhelming her. "However, when they came here and killed him, I knew I had been wrong…"

Although she didn't note it as anything special as it was his ordinary state, Vegeta remained quiet at the statement. It was a piece of information he had never been offered…

He had always thought that, no matter how sentimental she was or whatever, the love for her parents—the people who have raised her—was far greater than the affections she felt for him… Then why on Vegeta-sei had she said what she just said?

"I don't understand," he admitted.

"Rain, the love for the parents and the love for a person of the opposite gender are quite different things. Do not mistake one for the other." Was she reading his mind? Was he supposed to feel distressed from the accuracy of her statement and the reason of his puzzlement? Because he most certainly felt distressed about it…

"If he was as terrible as you make him out to be, why did you stay by his side?" She thought for a moment.

"Love is not something that can be described with words…"

"Try," he demanded anyway.

"Well…" Her face adopted a wistful look. "I think that in him, I found an even match. It was as if… as if I was the beginning of the sentence and he was its proper continuation. Sorry; I'm not good with the analogy but it's difficult to explain…" She shook her head. "Our fights… we both knew that most were nothing serious… We often said terrible things to each other in the heat of an argument… And even though he wasn't a person to give apologies, he always found a way to compensate." A sad smile took over her facial expression. "He never said he loved me but I could feel it in his touch that he did, in fact, feel for me…" He opened his mouth to rebuke but—thankfully for him—she shrugged the topic off quickly. "I'm sorry, I'm starting to discus things you care none about and you wouldn't want to know about. I just wanted to give this back to you." She handed him over the cloth.

He took it from her hands and sighed to himself. She had been right… They were a match made in Hell, but a perfect match nonetheless. To others it could have appeared that all they did was fight—and it was the right impression to get. It was the truth, after all. But there had been a lot of passion and their last time together in the Palace, in his quarters, had quite proved it still existed, as feverously as ever… if not even more so. Then just why, why the _Hell_ had they separated? He couldn't stop thinking of her and she had had a very hard time getting over his betrayal… because she had still loved him. Then why, why did they fall apart?

Oh, yes; he was a Saiya-jin and she was a human. Like he had said before: a match made in Hell.

It could have been—again—his cowardice, of course.

Try as he might, it was something he couldn't deny any longer. He had run away, to put it down as blatantly as that. He had been afraid of the feelings she had stirred in him and he had bowed out. He had put an end to something that could have been the most wonderful thing that happened to him in his entire life—a fuel for the fires that drove him—or the worst nightmare he had ever had…

…And the more time he spent with her again, after five years of self-conviction, he just couldn't bring himself to believe it would have truly been the nightmare he had forced himself to think of it as…

He gazed in her eyes, pools of cerulean clear waters, searched them for something, anything that could tell him she believed all that she had said. He was incapable of reading anything… He was blind, his eyes sightless to emotions… He understood the body language well but poor couldn't describe how bad he did at reading feelings, whether his own or others'…

…He felt pathetic…

…He felt so empty…

…And he knew exactly why…

God forbid, _he had been such a fool!_

All this time, this frustration, this anger… Had it truly been directed at her, for being weak as she was, turning him as weak and vulnerable? Had it truly been intended for her, this hatred and fury, and not at the thing he hated most—his own cowardice?

It scared him that he had no answer to that question…

However, Reality was soon to knock on the door, bringing them back from their own world in the face of a deafening and blinding explosion…

…The symphony of the End…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_Spell check later. I wanted to post the chapter for you before anything. Thanks for reading. I would be thankful if you leave a comment after reading the chapter._

_Yours sincerely, Dark Hope Assassin._


	16. Ch16: Insanity

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Sixteen: Insanity_

The onyx eyes of the youth were studying hers, shifting ever so slightly to and fro as he concentrated on her face and while she watched him, she could clearly see the mental turmoil he was going through. Had she said something wrong…? Somehow, strangely, she felt oddly related to this unknown character she had known for only a few weeks… How was that possible? It was as if there was some sort of connection between them… a mental link that made all her senses more acute to all his actions…

As she watched him struggle with some kind of internal skirmish her hand slowly began ascending from her side towards his face. Somehow, she wanted… no, _needed_ to touch his slightly tanned cheeks, so mind-bogglingly familiar… Yet there seemed to be a wall, blocking the realization from dawning on her. Maybe… maybe if she touched him… then perhaps the knowledge would flow into her…?

Millimeters before his face, however, the deafening sound of a huge explosion engulfed the entire forest and a blinding light wasn't late to follow. Bulma screamed in agony as her hands flew to grasp her head by her sides, cradling her hurt ears. She gasped in pain as her eyes, even having only caught the sight of the blinding light with her periphery vision, welled up with tears of strain.

When she was able to open her eyes again, the sight she registered made her heart freeze in dread. A huge forest fire was engulfing the entire area in ferocious flames. She looked at her side only to find Rain on his feet in a battle stance, his brow sweating profusely, a troubled expression on his sharp features. She was about to ask what was going on when another, even stronger if physically possible, explosion resounded, rendering most of her senses useless for a short amount of time in which the excruciating pain was so severe she couldn't compose her mind…

Somehow, she was certain this _couldn't _mean _anything_ good…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

When the rubble settled down and the light stopped its intrusive tries to blind her even through her lids and she finally opened her cerulean orbs to the world again, taking in her surroundings cautiously. She immediately spotted the young Saiya-jin standing in what she assumed was his battle stance in front of her—she could've sworn she had seen that stance somewhere before, but she had no clue as to where—in what seemed a protective manner. What was going on there anyway? Everything was happening just… just way too fast for her to comprehend properly!

In the next instant though, none of her confusion mattered as it was discarded right away only to be replaced with the same amount of fear as an alien creature floated through the air towards the pair of them, looking utterly twisted and giving them the evil eye…

"So you have finally crawled out of your hole, your highness?" the boy taunted with a sardonic voice, his face smug with pleasure with himself. Bulma felt her eye twitch slightly at the word. Was he talking to her? Where did he know her from? Who the hell was he in the first place and why did he have to destroy such a large amount of greenery to get his message across?

The boy's cold icy coloured eyes flashed with a feral glee as he seemed to devour the two of them just by looking at them.

"It was a very cowardly thing to do, fleeing like that from our last fight. Where's your honour and pride, your majesty? Or perhaps you don't have enough of those to solidify your place as a King?" He eyed Rain with a very intimidating leer. King… was it? Did he just say _king_? She frowned firmly—it was official – the guy was an absolute nutcase. There were no kings around—some beasts had taken good care there weren't…

"Why, if I didn't know any better, Juunanagou, by the look in your eyes I could have though that you're actually _happy_, in your own perverse way, that I am not dead." The Saiya-jin looked over his shoulder at the perplexed woman behind him caring none about her nonplus but busying his mind instead with thoughts of how to get her off the battlefield before she got caught in the crossfire… or even worse… He shook his head slightly, ridding himself of such thoughts. No! He had to keep a clear mind! He could always hope that this idiot Saiya-jin in charge of her well-being would find a way to save her even if things began getting flashy…

"My, oh, my, looking away from me while I'm beginning to get serious, are you? Isn't that a bit disrespectful of you," said the creature called Juunanagou, summoning a large ki blast between his two hands, "_Lord_?" he roared and threw the blast at the non-suspecting Bulma, who shrieked in anguish and instinctively brought her hands in front of her in a futile attempt at a block.

Laughing cruelly to himself, the floating monster landed on the ground, enjoying himself while the smoke slowly cleared. However, when it did, the man's eyebrows narrowed dangerously when he saw his antagonist in a protective block in front of the Earth royalty.

"Th-Thank you… Ra—" Bulma began in a shaky voice but was cut across by the boy in front of her.

"I do not need your thanks, woman. Just get inside before I dispose of you myself," he stated in an alarmingly serious and intimidating voice, his jet black orbs burying into her. For an instant, she felt even greater fear than that from a moment ago grip her heart in an icy grasp. Nodding dumbly, she clambered to her feet shakily and ran back to her friends, leaving the two combatants to themselves… and an exhilarating fight ahead.

Once she was gone, Vegeta felt an eerie calm envelop his entire being. Now that all obstacles had been taken care of, he had a clear fighting field. It was ironic how in this sodden dark forest the future of the entire universe would be decided… It was such an unassuming place, with nothing becoming in it, absolutely ordinary…

"Are you done being mushy, loser? I'm starting to become irritated with your impudence, you third-rate fighter…" the teenager growled at the King under cover. Vegeta, on the other hand, only smirked in response to the younger fighter's bubbling anger. "Why, you no good…" Raising his hand higher to gather his ki in a ball above his head, Juunanagou readied another attack.

"Don't take me lightly, tin can!" The man disappeared from eye sight in an instant and reappeared not even a second later behind his assailant. "I'm stronger than the last time we fought," he hissed menacingly, pulling back his fist for a strike, "for which I humbly thank _you_."

He had thought he had him pinned to the wall. However, right before his fist connected with the unsuspecting head of the android, it went straight to it… and he realized that it was only an after-image that he had been seeing until then. His eyes widened with the realization… He was better now but…

"Maybe you have hurt your head when you fell, your majesty…" Juunanagou's voice whispered directly in his ear. "I think you don't realize yet that you're still no more than an insect for me to crush…"

Before the king could react, a kneecap made a painful impact with backbone, sending him hurtling towards the ground to writhe in an agonizing moment in pain at the feet of the android who only scrutinized him condescendingly.

"Hurry up and show me that Super Saiya-jin form of yours, King…" His hollow azure eyes widened with unveiled madness as he spoke. "You'll regret losing to me again if you're still in your normal power…"

"What the—? Who is that monster?" the unmistakable voice of Goku asked rhetorically as he, Krillin, Juuhachigou and Bulma showed up at the door to the mansion. "Who are you and what do you want from us?" demanded Goku defensively, taking his own battle stance. Meanwhile, Vegeta had finally managed to get into a more dignified sitting position and he was watching with horror-filled eyes as the idiots attempted to resist something that could crush them without even trying to.

"You idiots…!" he croaked out barely audibly. "Get out of here before you get yourselves killed!" He managed to yell out this time but the idiotic Saiya-jin showed no sign of obeying.

"No!" the other man exclaimed finally. "I have sworn my loyalty to Bulma Briefs and I will take any action needed to protect her!" He then changed into his Super Saiya-jin form, his hair which had been pointing in all directions now standing completely up in its full golden glory.

"Then you can _die_ being loyal, fool," said Juunanagou, sending a pair of powerful blasts at the meddlesome Saiya-jin who was detracting the attention of his real opponent.

Goku screamed in agony as one of the blasts scorched his skin but Juuhachigou had been fast enough to deflect the other one by slapping it away to explode somewhere deeper in the forest, creating a large clearing of burning trees. Her intense azure eyes locked with her twin's matching ones, her hatred blazing into them trying to soothe her brother's angry spirit.

"Stop this insanity, Juunanagou! You said it yourself earlier that we don't need to fulfill our father's wishes! These people…" She pointed with a shaky hand at the pair of humans and Saiya-jin behind her. "These people can be the family we never had! With them we can finally find our place in society! Please, brother, stop trying to kill them!"

She waited to see if her words would have any impact on her cold-hearted but, she believed, reasonable brother but to her utter shock and horror he just laughed callously at her little speech.

"Finding our place in society, you say? Finding a place to belong, you say? Ha! Don't make me laugh, sister!" His laughter melted away and a look of burning contempt took over his sharp features. "You never really wanted this power, did you, sister? But not me! I wanted to become stronger! I wanted people to fear me; I wanted to see them run away, screaming and scurrying for their pitiful lives when they see me coming. As long as I'm here, there _will_ be no society, on this, or any other planet! I don't need anyone else—not even you sister!" There it was again, that look of absolute insanity in his cold eyes. "As long as I can pillage and destroy everything in sight, I don't need anything else!"

There was a primordial growl behind him and he turned around to see Vegeta, in all his Super Saiya-jin glory, exude a powerful intimidating aura. There were gasps among the earthlings and Goku even managed to exclaim his King's name.

"Before you can do whatever you wish with my kingdom, you'll have to kill _me_, half-wit," Vegeta growled out angrily.

"How amusing…! How infinitely amusing…! So you finally decide to fight me seriously, King? About damn time, too…! I have already once nearly killed you…" The dark haired android jumped up from his spot on the moldy grass. "…And, believe me, I won't let you go a second time!"

While the two men engaged in a violent battle, Goku was droning in a panicked way on and on about something Bulma was too shocked to listen to. He was there… He was really there… Her Vegeta… Vegeta was still alive! And yet this monster attempted once again to take him from her. She wasn't angry with the King—her heart was skipping with joy at the notion that he had somehow managed to preserve his life a bit longer and to be close to her for a few more days… And now she felt this intimidating hollowness threatening to engulf her again once more. She was watching the man she loved more than her own life bet beaten to a pulp by this… by this monster! And she felt utterly helpless because they were fighting on a level that was light years ahead of her own.

She then looked at Goku with a glance of utter despair only to be met with one that resembled hers… It was as if someone had stuck a knife in her heart and was now twisting it around painfully… No matter the subject, she had known Goku to keep a clear and optimistic view on things… but if even Goku held no hope for survival then things were certain…

"Get out of here, all of you earthlings! You'll just be in the way!" Juuhachigou barked her order at them only to have the Saiya-jin guardian narrow his eyes at her.

"Weren't you the one who was helping that demon with his work earlier?" he asked dubiously, still crouching in his battle stance.

"She saved your life earlier, didn't she?" Krillin snapped a bit too harshly at his close friend, making him look at him weirdly, taken aback by the quickness of the bald short man's response. "Juuhachigou… What are you planning to do once we're gone?"

"I'm not helping my idiotic brother assassinate that jackass friend of yours, if that's what you're asking," she growled out coolly, but Krillin shook his head.

"You're not planning on sacrificing yourself for this, are you?" the short man continued prodding on. He just got a slightly disbelieving—and sad?—look from his recently found friend and a short reply,

"As if I would do such a thing…!" Her gaze then became stern again as she looked at all of them. "Now go! You only serve as a distraction here!"

"Even if we run, how far do you think we'll go before your brother finds us?" Bulma interjected, making the other woman look away. "If you help Vegeta, maybe we can manage to get out of this alive—"

"You don't get it, do you princess?" The blonde android cut her short. The Queen had to submerge the initial urge to correct her remark, reminding herself that even if the woman was temporarily on their side, she was still a killing machine just like that brother of hers who was still fighting furiously with Vegeta just a few feet ahead of them. "_No one_ will get out of this alive, no matter how many of us jump at him at once. I might be strong but he's the one who was created for annihilating races and galaxies! I was only taken too because I was there and because he refused to be turned into an android if I didn't come with him."

"So… you were turned into this against your will…?" Bulma asked in a maddeningly sad tone of voice. The other female's eyes narrowed dangerously once again.

"Don't look at me with that pitiful expression on your pretty little face. My brother was the only person who I had then and I couldn't let him go. But now I don't have such idiotic things like emotions—I threw them away the moment I decided that I would become an android myself and conquer worlds alongside my brother."

"If what you're saying is true, then why are you siding with us now?" Bulma smiled warmly at the cyborg girl, making her flinch back, as if she had been stung by her question. Instinctively, without even realizing what she was doing, her eyes averted to glance for an evanescent instant at Krillin, who looked equally surprised. Bulma's expression softened even more. "You and Vegeta are so alike… So proud and stubborn in beliefs that weren't even yours to begin with… I'm glad that at least you realized where your loyalties lay, Juuhachigou."

After she said that, the group was startled by the raw yell of pain that the android released and all their eyes pinned to the combatants. They found the pair in a very awkward situation—Vegeta's fangs were sunk in the younger man's neck, drawing blood, while the other fighter attempted with all he had to take off the savage Saiya-jin off himself. He finally managed to catch the King by the back of his shirt and threw him violently off, sending him on the ground right in front of the bedazzled group of people.

"Did you not hear me when I told you? Get out of here!" the Saiya-jin ruler roared.

"We're staying here to help you fight that boasting monster!" Goku said decisively. The other Saiya-jin did not veil his surprise as his eye brows rose.

"What did you say…?"

In the next moment, however, the King drew up his hand over his head from his lying position, drawing his fingers together and bending only his thumb, readying his Big Bang Attack while Goku positioned himself for his trademark Kame Hame-Ha. When Juunanagou came in flying at the two of them, they both fired their attacks, sending their opponent backwards.

"They're doing it! They're actually doing it!" Krillin yelled excitedly at Bulma, whose eyes lit up with hope as she looked at the excited Krillin.

"No, not really…" Juuhachigou muttered darkly, readying herself as well.

"You annoying poisonous insects…" mumbled the enraged Juunanagou who flew out from the still evaporating smoke, pinning Goku to the ground and sending series upon series of punches at him until he could barely hold his Super Saiya-jin state.

"Let him go!" Bulma cried in anguish, drawing the mad man's attention to herself. When he saw the face she was giving him, he bared his teeth in a wide evil grin at her, scaring her soul.

"Solar Flare!" cried Krillin before the bastard could get any weird ideas about harming his Queen. In an instant, Juunanagou rolled off of Goku, clutching his hands to his eyes as he screamed in agony. Juuhachigou blinked with a stunned expression on her face before glancing at the bald man curiously—she had never known he knew such strong—not to mention efficient—attacks! Running to retrieve his unconscious friend, Krillin shook his long-time friend gently, trying to revive him. "Goku! Goku! Get a grip on yourself, man! Wake up! We need you!"

"What you need is to be taught a lesson!" Juunanagou roared as he launched a thin blast from his index finger. Juuhachigou and Bulma both shrieked at Krillin to watch out and dodge it but they were both too late… The blast reached its target—the bald man's heart—and killed him instantly. He didn't writhe in agony; he didn't move a muscle more… His dead body just collapsed backwards on the ground, the last breath of life escaping his carcass…

His widely open eyes still had the shock and terror written in them as they stared up at the cloudy sky above which was hardly visible owing to the thick greenery around. Juuhachigou watched with horror filled eyes as the man who she cared most for among the earthlings she had become quite fond of fall… The ghosts of tears pushed in her eyes, begging to be released, but instead she let an enraged yell escape her mouth as she flew in to avenge her loss and pay her brother back for it.

Left behind were the unconscious bloodied Goku and the powerless Queen who yelled desperately after the woman not to go. She had seen enough death in her life. She had seen enough of destruction and her innocent eyes had feasted enough upon the sight of scorched wreckage. She didn't want to see any more of it—she didn't want to see any more of the people whom she cared for die at the hands of insane megalomaniacs who had nothing better to do than to disrupt her peaceful living. Did fate have no mercy for her wretched soul? Had she not seen enough pain to last a life time? Was she not cracked up enough? Was there some lesson to be learnt from all of this? Why did all this happen to her and the people around her?_ Why_, for goodness' sake?

After a short but powerful skirmish, the exhausted unconscious female android fell as well. Gasping for breath, but still on his feet, the evil twin grinned at his last powerless prey, advancing threateningly towards her with a maddening perverse look in his eyes. Crawling backwards in attempted retreat, Bulma couldn't help a shriek as she watched with tear-filled eyes the murderer of her friends, the destroyer of her world, close the gap between them. She did the only thing that jumped to mind and screamed for the only person she believed could help her,

"Vegeta!"

She figured doing so was mistake because it resulted in him backhanding her, sending her skidding across the wet grass, moaning in pain as she tried to sit up.

"Vegeta…! Please…help—Ah!" She shrieked loudly in pain as her attacker caught her by the neck and raised her above her feet, suffocating her slowly but surely.

"I'm sorry gorgeous, but that pretty little neck of yours doesn't suit my fancy in one piece!" he declared and tightened his grip on her. Bulma felt her consciousness slipping her to be replaced by soul-scaring darkness. She tried to breathe but the amount that was filling her lungs and fed to her brain was insufficient for her to keep her eyes open. She was done for… She was dying…

…And she hadn't even managed to tell Vegeta that she didn't really hate him, that it was blatant lie and about _it_… she had been so happy…

Then she fell limp in the arms of her killer, ceasing all sort of resistance…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

In the meantime, Vegeta just stared helplessly into nothingness, thinking how oddly familiar this whole situation was. He was desperate, weak and… scared… Memories came back to him, flooding and haunting him… Memories of how his people had been mercilessly slaughtered by his tormentor for years, the damn Frieza…

He remembered how he had just stayed there, staring vacuously while his father was killed by the hands of that molester… He remembered what a coward he had been there, too scared for his own life to do what his pride called. For once, he had ignored his pride in his desperate will to survive. He recalled how pathetic he had been, watching idly as his father had been ruthlessly slaughtered, right in front of his eyes. True, his father had been a dysfunctional parental figure but he had been the only family the young Prince had had his entire life… and he hadn't lifted a finger when that monster had taken his life…

He recalled what a coward he had been when he had finished Frieza, fleeing from the woman that had stirred weird, disturbing emotion in him that he had never before felt… He remembered how irritated and furious he had been with himself the entire five years he had spent away from her, thinking how that unworthy scar-faced idiot would have her beneath him at night, how he'd have her sleeping peacefully next to him on their bed, and how he'd have her cheerful laugh and spirit-soothing smile all to himself… and it enraged him beyond belief every time! And yet he did nothing to correct his mistake—he kept his distance all that time, thinking that she would only get in his way, that she would only pull him back from reaching his goals, and that she would restrict him from being what he was and from what he wanted to be…!

But was it really like that? Was she really just an obstacle? Was she really that unnecessary? If so, why did looking at that monster choking her sting so bad? Wouldn't it be better if she had just died along with her planet never to be revived again? Wouldn't that make all her anger and anguish disappear? However logical it was for him to be pleased from the fact she was no more, the notion didn't sit well with him at all. His blood boiled in his veins and it angered him even more that he could do nothing to help her. Because he was weak, another person would die on his behalf. Because he was weak, the only woman who ever cared enough to grow fond of him enough to get to know him and love him even despite all his weird traits and bad qualities would die a gruesome and pathetic death by the hands of a pitiful _machine_, something a _human_ created!

He was so ashamed of himself… He was so pissed with himself…! Why, why couldn't he ever protect those around him when he needed to? Why could he never be strong enough to prevent the monsters from taking away those around him? Why did he have to be such a coward…?

_It's because you're still denying it. It's because you still refuse to realize it._

He hated that annoying little voice in the back of his head that always chose the most inadequate moments to butt in. He didn't understand what it meant and at the same time he was fully conscious of its words… it was just that he was, indeed, still dodging the idea, still refusing to admit it even to himself.

But it was so because that was such a weak emotion, a feeling unworthy of a Saiya-jin ruler. A Saiya-jin King did not need to know that kind of pitiful thing in order to become a good leader or a great man! A woman was not even necessary for a Saiya-jin King!

_But you desperately want to save her, don't you?_

Fucking god, he _did_! He wanted, for once, to do something for her. He wanted, for once, to be strong enough, mature enough, to save _her_, the way she had saved him all those years ago. He had gone to her planet, full of hatred and fury, knowing only the thrill of the fight, but she had shown him a world that was far more beautiful and becoming than his own. She had cast light upon his clouded and sorrow-filled heart; she had cleared his mind and opened it to experiences entirely different than his life on Frieza's ship.

Without even knowing it, back then, she had rescued him from the complete darkness of his pitch black inner world… She had taught him that there were other kinds of emotions than those he had been taught his entire life, by both his parents and Frieza, who had taken him under his "protective wing" or at least that had been his pretense for corrupting his wretched soul even more…

Now it was his turn…

Actually he had probably never managed to grow up from that moment when he was fourteen and had first met her… that innocent nine-year-old princess who had spunk and spirit to envy on a ship full of twisted fucks… She had been a ray of light in an accursed land without even realizing it. She had cast light upon that little boy he had been back then without even knowing it… and he had preserved that vision of them, always resorting to it when he didn't know what to do anymore…

…But now the time had come to look away from it and take a firm glance at reality. He was a fully grown man now and still he fled taking responsibility for what happened around him. He still looked for others to do his job, he still prayed in his damned soul for help when he had to have firm belief in himself…

Kakarot, Baldie, Bulma and even that cyborg woman, they had all fallen in the fight in order to protect him… because they all believed in him… And how was he thanking him? He closed his eyes to their pain, trying to escape the painful reality, refusing to believe that everything was happening… refusing to believe in himself as strongly as they did… because he was such a coward… It was a vicious circle he would never escape…

And now it was his time… It was his time to show that he was no longer a cowardly child, hiding behind the skirts of a weak earthling woman. If his emotions were making him weak, then he would not throw them away like he had attempted five years ago. If his feelings towards the frail earth female make him weak, he would turn them into his strongest point. If he had no belief in himself, he would rely on her belief for him. If he lost himself along the way, he would search for the pureness of her soul and find himself again…

Even if he wasn't mature yet, he would still fight to his dying breath…!

Picking himself from the ground, Vegeta cracked an insane grin.

"Does it give you some perverse pleasure torturing defenseless women, you low-life?" the King asked in an eerie voice that sounded alien to him. It was a voice consumed by the madness that raged in his chest, the primordial madness that he was restricting with his will to survive.

"What did you just say?" Juunanagou hissed and turned around with narrow eyes, but once he glanced at the form of the Saiya-jin King he froze on the spot, letting the fainted woman in his hand collapse in a boneless heap on the ground.

Vegeta bared his fangs further, raising his head to lock his teal eyes with the azure ones of his antagonist. When he saw the look in them, his fear dissipated immediately, turning into mad excitement and exhilaration at the thought of their fight. He did not fear for his life any longer—he _knew_ he wouldn't die. No, he would _not_ die without taking the dirty little bastard with him to the pits of Hell…

And, as the last of his reason evaporated from the depths of his sick mind, Vegeta set his insanity loose, letting its promising arousing warmth engulf his entire being and do with him as it damn well pleased…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_AN: I've got no excuse for prolonging this update this long. I'm truly sorry! I didn't want to rush it! Although I think it could've been better (it always can), I am very much pleased with this chapter. I hope that you still don't hate me enough to not even acknowledge the update… um… yeah…_

_There are only two or so chapters left to this story, so I hope that at least one of you will stick along long enough to find out how the "Inevitability" and "Incapability" conclude… _

_See you again soon! Yours sincerely,_

_Dark Hope Assassin._


	17. Ch17: Power Excess

_**Damaged**_

_Chapter Seventeen: Power Excess_

He was sure he was stepping over some border line at that instant… because his entire body didn't react to any impulse his brain sent. At first he had wanted to run, desperately. But then… then that dreadful, bloodlust-consumed side of his Saiya-jin character had seen the despaired look in a cyborg's eyes. The thing wasn't even alive, yet felt fear at the sight of him, was that so? If so, then what was he doing, shaking like a pansy in those clothes that weren't his, hiding in this mansion that wasn't his, failing to protect what was his again…

There was no backing down now. He had momentarily forgotten his pride and honour as a leader of an entire race—a proud and stand alone race that still bowed down to him whenever they saw him. What was he doing, cowering like an idiot while that tin can pulverized those idiots around him? Had he fallen so low that he had even turned on his instincts?

Something in the back of his mind got over his reason and yelled an ear-splitting no. He knew that it had only been a temporary measure, a way to collect his thoughts and summon the old him back after he had been beaten in battle… because it had been such a long time since he had last lost to anyone. He had become so full of himself and the power and potential that his body, a Legendary Saiya-jin body, possessed that he had forgotten the bitter taste of defeat, of the shame and helplessness… along with the reason why the Gods had entrusted that kind of power with him.

His eyes rolled on their own free will to the woman that was getting choked by that monster. Yes… had she not been the reason why he had defeated Freeza at that time? But he had left her to live on her own and that power had grown inefficient… as had his own fate in himself. It was now… now was his time to truly grow, to appreciate what he had and to protect those whom he cared for.

It had… actually been so for a long, long time, hadn't it…? He had cared for her… all along but had played tough, he had tried to deceive her and himself as well, convincing himself that he was something that he was no longer, not since he had met her when he was an inexperienced and lost boy of fourteen.

It was at that moment that he had stepped over the threshold of the border line… and had grasped a new kind of power that it happened…

The sky grew dark in the bat of an eyelash; thick black clouds prevented the sun from witnessing the upcoming atrocity of a ki. The insane bloodlust was spreading, fast and irrevocable. It grasped every cell in his body and utilized his spirit and life force to a point of semi-consciousness. Before he had realized it, he was on his feet, mumbling something about torture and twisted glee… He could no longer hear his own words.

Every limb of his twitched with excitement, every fiber of his shivered from the surge of primordial strength. It was a feeling long forgotten… to have this much power that he wouldn't be able to control it all while not in a fight. A malicious smirk pulled on the corners of his lips and stretched them as far as it could. He was going to enjoy this… for the sake of the woman that asshole had just ruthlessly slaughtered without even a damn reason!

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Juunanagou realized a second too late that the sun was no longer protruding in slim shafts through the tree branches. He loosened his hold on the pitiful creature in his hand and looked skyward. Whatever could be seen from the thickly grown branches were storm clouds—only that. They lighted every now and then with unreleased bolts of electricity.

"Does it give you some perverse pleasure torturing defenceless women, you low-life?" He heard the words of the only conscious person and his head whipped in his direction… but he didn't see what he had expected.

What he saw was a berserk man with eyes just as unpleasant as his own. Somehow the damn show off's power was making him shrink back a bit.

"What did you say?" He reared back, almost by habit and dropped the useless woman on the ground, certain that she was already dead. He faced his enemy again and saw that it was not just the look in his eyes that was changing.

Vegeta's fists were tightly clenched and convulsing ever so visibly. They seemed to be on the brink of bleeding from the pressure applied by his fingers. His teeth were tightly gritted and a low growl was emitted from the back of his throat. However, his appearances and his ever so straightening hair weren't what bothered Juunanagou that much.

The android had been created in a way that restricted him from sensing, hiding or controlling in any way his ki. He was, therefore, always on full power and the fact whether he killed or not was decided whether he pulled his punches or not. However, absolute weaklings like that chrome dome kid were something that he couldn't pull his punches enough not to kill—not that he would do it even if he could anyway—they were just way too weak.

Still, even _Juunanagou_ could _see_ the ki pooling around that jerk's body, ever so steadily, like a poisonous snake winding around its master obediently. His own fists clenched tightly as Vegeta's hair stretched further and further towards the heavens. Not a single strand of his was any longer in a direction different than upward once his aura exploded, sending debris of the molded grass and earth into the cyborg's artificially created eyes.

Vegeta smirked so widely his face seemed to freeze that way. The electricity began doing a vigorous dance around his body. His wounds didn't hurt anymore, his blood was no longer oozing out from his body—he was so high on adrenaline from the power surging through him he couldn't feel or hear anything else than that nagging voice in the back of his head. It chanted on and on, on and on, restlessly, fearlessly, _'kill him, kill him, KILL_!'

The electricity, countless high voltage bolts, summoned around him, creating a fearsome image, making intimidating light dance across his face, illuminating his fearsome teal eyes.

"You seem to have the wrong idea, spineless jerk." Vegeta spoke slowly, challengingly… in a threatening way… "Who do you think is the strongest person among all of us gathered here?"

Biting his lip angrily and jumping swiftly into the air, Juunanagou charged furiously at the man who dared to mock him. "Why you damn piece of—" He threw a punch but it just swooshed through the thick layer of an after image. When his eyes widened in bafflement and his jaw was on the brink of dropping, he heard a voice worthy of being that of the Devil himself whisper behind him;

"I should seriously thank you for this actually, Juunanagou." His assailant slammed a heavy fist in the area of his lungs, smirking ever so slightly when he heard a satisfying loud crack. As the cyborg flew helplessly, caught off-guard by the surprise, the flame-haired man cut into the path of the flying body of the artificial fighter. "This kind of power is something that happened to me only once before."

As the android collapsed in a pile of rubble, Vegeta landed gracefully on the ground, the completion of his ki-growth signalized with a powerful and blinding explosion of energy. His entire body was screaming. It was screaming for blood spilling, it yearned for a good fight… it wished powerfully for this ki-surge to last forever. The man in possession of the body couldn't even hear what he was saying exactly. He was completely out of his, consumed by feelings stronger than life and much stronger than death…

The electricity around his body was springing at uneven intervals but it was the visual incarnation of the hugeness of his life force. He smirked smugly while his opponent struggled out of his earth coffin, shrugging off dirt and grass.

"You still don't understand, do you?" Yet again, it was this voice that definitely wasn't Vegeta's that exited the Saiya-jin's throat while the dark haired boy struggled up that greeted him.

"What's there to understand? Some brainless monkey decided to just give me a bit of trouble in the process of annihilation of a planet. That's all I can see here." A humourless, cruel laugh emitted from the shorter man's mouth, making his antagonist's eyebrows narrow angrily. "What's so funny in what I just said?"

"Like I said, you still don't understand the kind of situation you're in…" He spread his arms out, as if to welcome the android in a suffocating embrace. Small ki-blasts began to form in his outstretch hands, making Juunanagou double over in a block. "This electricity you see… It's not something I do just to show off, you see…"

"What?" Intense azure eyes glared daggers at mad teal ones.

"When there is this much ki in the air it just attracts many charged particles. But I don't recklessly release this kind power on purpose, you see…" A small drop of cold sweat dribbled down Juunanagou's face. "It's just that when you have as much excess of power as I do… a small amount of it is just _bound_ to leak out."

When the cyborg stared into those insane teal orbs, he knew that his future was already decided…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The pallid lids trembled in an attempt to lift themselves from the eyes behind them. The mind was still spinning in a dizzying motion when the person tried to come to. Fingers curled into fists, grasping handfuls of moist grass.

A mocking voice was calling from beyond the lids… It was slowly chanting some sort of a song… Was it really a song…? No, they were just simple words, spoken with determination and decisiveness. The person could feel the radiating presence of the other, somehow alien yet oddly familiar and… comforting… The fallen one could hear the low voice but couldn't understand the words it said… If only the damn world would stop spinning so fast…!

Unfocused cerulean eyes were exposed in the next second, striving to recollect their possessor's bearings. Releasing a deep yet oddly quiet groan of pain, a lavender haired regal sat up, a shaky hand clutching a shaky forehead as she struggled for breath. Looking around at the grass, she noticed a small puddle of blood that she must have coughed up when she had been freed. She thought she had been a goner but, somehow, her life had been spared.

Instantly, memories of what had happened to knock her out flooded her head and she looked around, anxiously, searching for the beast that had attacked her. However, when she found him, her eyes widened with shock and glee. Vegeta was standing with his back to her, electricity threatening to strike his body yet none of the bolts ever flew toward his form. Before she could stop herself, her jaw had dropped when she realized how drastically his ki had jumped while she had been out. His back was once again straightened, his resolve obviously also coming back to him once more. She smiled, fighting a fresh wave of nostalgia. It had been so long since he had seemed _that_ majestic in her eyes…

It happened too fast for her to realize it. She had doubled over, throwing up blood over herself. She clasped a shaking hand to her opened mouth, trying to prevent any more of her vital liquid escape her. However, she seemed powerless to stop the internal bleeding, from wherever in her body it was, as she clutched a fistful of grass to support herself into her sitting position.

Was she to become a burden to him once more? Hadn't she trained all that time when she was a small girl to prevent this from happening again…? Hadn't she given her spirit and body to restless training, every single day, to ensure that she would no longer need anyone to put their life at stake to save hers? Wasn't she supposed to have become independent during those years…? Hadn't she become _stronger_ during this time?

Furious, dejected tears leaked from her tightly closed eyes as the despair consumed her. She hadn't achieved… even _one single thing_ in her life up till then… She was useless as a warrior, as a leader and protector of her lands, as well as a woman… She had given up on everything because she had been too weak… and now it was too late to do anything.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

However it made something in his chest kick at the thought, he was glad that the woman was gone now… At least she wouldn't have to see all of that… She was such a fragile creature after all, not suited for combat from the start. He smirked to himself at the remembrance of their little fight a while back, at that campfire… It had been fun playing with her but it was better that she rested in a better place now… away from him and from all this pain that he seemed to constantly rain on her undeserving spirit…

"Oh… what would you know? The sleeping beauty awakens…" the slick voice of the smug android bastard informed him, making him whip his head over his shoulder to look at whatever that monster was scrutinizing so insistently. His teal eyes widened, making a torrent of emotions consume him and his thoughts. She wasn't dead…? How was it possible?

However, the skillful fighter realized his mistake on time and jumped to the side just in time to block the conceited foe from making anything he would regret.

"I should use her as a prey and break his concentration… is that what you were thinking?" His words were cold and his features were frighteningly composed as he said that. "Too bad that you seem like you're standing still to me with those slow movements of yours…"

"What did you say?"

Juunanagou didn't even get the time to send the ki-blast formed in his hand at his opponent before he was backhanded and sent flying towards the thick trunk of a tree which cut him in his trajectory, making him release a choked groan of pain. Huffing irritatedly, Vegeta turned fully around to glance at the woman from whose tightly clutched fingers small drops of sticky blood dripped to the ground, chasing one another in a lazy race toward the grassy ground. She had half composed herself at that point, reopening her eyes and rubbing her blood-drenched hand in the side of her clothes while she struggled to her feet. She threw a fleeting glance at Vegeta to see him staring just as intensely at her and she felt her head nod slowly. Capturing her eyes in a hasty lock for an instant, he grinned evilly and returned the nod, his eyes returning to his foe.

Now he could really begin…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

She had felt so uncertain, so scared… but once she had looked into those teal orbs, so powerful and somehow reassuring, her pain had washed away and her resolve had strengthened tenfold.

As she scrambled through the battlefield, trying to collect the bodies of her friends from being mutilated any longer, she noticed that—even though she had little of it to begin with—she couldn't bring her ki to her aid and every time she attempted to, a head-splitting migraine shot through her. Cursing below her breath, she decided to do it the normal way and hoped that she would just be fast enough to do it on time.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Juunanagou was crouched low in a battle stance, considering his chances while the predator approached him. He decided that all odds were currently against him and the chance of him winning over that proud asshole was slimmer to none. But, maybe if he somehow managed to take that weakling woman as his hostage of some sort he would have greater chances…

"If you're still mulling over that stupid idea of yours, you should drop it." Vegeta informed him coldly when appearing behind him, dodging a weak punch when the other male turned around. "It's a really stupid plan that's only fit for a petty weakling."

"How did you call me?" Juunanagou roared, throwing series after series of incomprehensibly fast punches and kicks aimed at the King's vital areas, completing his outburst with a huge ki-blast that exploded loudly with a bright light, raising the fallen debris of stones and grass. Sighing in content, the android smirked in a satisfied manner while the smoke cleared, certain that he had disposed of that annoying bastard's irritating condescending smirk. His eyes widened as saucers when she saw the other guy standing there as if nothing had just happened, a tiny amount of blood trickling from the side of his mouth. With an angry dismissive snort, the shorter guy wiped the blood from his face with his tattered from the explosion upper garment.

"I thought that you would be a test to my new power, Juunanagou…" His intimidating teal eyes narrowed into a pair of hateful slits. "But now I'm terribly disappointed. Not only are you pathetic but you are a weakling too."

The android's hands shook violently, his fury growing. He wasn't going to lose like this… Not then, not any time…! And definitely not to that self-centered asshole who was absolutely no better than him!

"_SHUT UP_!" the younger fighter shouted loudly, launching countless ki-blasts at his antagonist.

Looking over his shoulder at the woman who had finally removed everyone's asses from the field in front of the mansion, Vegeta smirked. Now he could finally get wild… Every single muscle in his body ached and stretched on its own accord. He knew, he knew already…! There was no need to get so impatient!

Deflecting all the blasts and sending the last one right at the huffing and puffing android that had used up too much of his ki for that kind of attack, Juunanagou barely managed to slap away the ball the moment before it exploded in his face. Wishing more of his stamina to him, he tried to hold up but it was useless to try. If he was growing tired, it was the end…

"Let me show you how this is done." Vegeta's self-collected behaviour chilled him to the bone somehow. But he had little time to ponder over that as he was rained with much more in number and stronger torrent of ki-balls which collided painfully with his body and could've been the last thing he saw if he hadn't put his arms in front of him to block them from hitting his body directly.

Chuckling insanely to himself while the smoke dissipated, Juunanagou looked ahead at Vegeta.

"You have already used that technique on me, Vegeta… It didn't work before—what makes you think that it will work now?" But Vegeta was no longer in his spot. A wave of panic rushed over the other male, his head whipping helplessly around to spot his enemy.

"Is that so? Then I'll have to get rid of those limbs of yours that seem to get in my way…" the devil whispered coolly from somewhere aside him. The android managed to put his guard up as well as his arm in time to prevent an elbow from connecting with his ribs again and cracking another rib like in the beginning.

And, although he was sure he had blocked that hit successfully, his arm gave a sickening crack and fell limp by his side the next moment. Slumping down on his knees, the artificial human gave a chocked cry as he tried to nurse the useless limb.

"I wonder… do you feel pain, tin can?"

"I'll show you… what pain… really is… you fuck…!" Vegeta's eye twitched at that little piece of threat and he jumped high up when he saw his assailant raise his hand forward for another blast. Before the other guy could see what was happening, the Saiya-jin's heel dropped on the outstretched hand, bending it in an odd and unsightly angle. Another strangled cry fought its way out of the machine's oral cavity.

"Too bad then that I'm quite familiar with it then," Vegeta added, jump-kicking the agonizing android with a ferocity that sent him flying into a bunch of trees, crushing the smaller ones until his back finally collided painfully with a stronger one. Slowly, the alien ascended to his feet using the piece of greenery as support for his wounded back that could frankly hardly bear the weight of his body any longer. Despite the rush of despair that rushed into his artificial heart, the machine laughed cruelly.

"I wonder how long you can keep up with this… That kind of energy is not something that one body of flesh and blood can keep up with for a long period…" He was quite a pitiful sight as he fought to regain his balance.

"Let's just say that it will be long enough to turn you to smoldering cinders."

With a tiny jump up, the unruly haired Saiya-jin was hovering slightly above the ground, his arms and legs spread widely. The forest suddenly began getting brighter and brighter, illuminated by the ki summoned in the man's arms. The earth beneath his form shattered with a terrible ghastly noise, making a cob web-like crack crawl in all directions from the place he was hovering above. His muscles convulsed with the intense energy that was being compressed in them. His brows were twitching, his hands also. He had no time to think about the agony of his body though. He was so engulfed by those powerful feelings he could hardly sense anything else.

In the next moment, his cupped hands were in front of him, concentrating the staggering amount of ki in between. He smiled in that twisted manner that would send shivers down anyone's spine.

"Sorry about using the same technique on you twice, Juunanagou. This time you'll be the recipient of one of my original ones." His smile faded in the next moment as he roared deafeningly. "_Final Flash!_"

Bulma shielded her eyes with her slender hand, waiting until the thunder of the noise the blast had created faded away before she reopened them. She smiled in hope to herself, her being filling with glee but dread washed over her as she noticed that the damn little bastard was still standing.

Although there was hardly anything he could do beside standing and glaring. One single movement would knock him off his feet. His entire left side of his upper body was gone—artificial blood was dripping from the gaping hole in his body. There were hardly any intestines in that being, although he was quite realistic flesh. Huffing, Vegeta advanced towards the pathetic guy who didn't move a muscle. He just stared into nothingness, barely alive.

"I… I was created to be the strongest… the strongest being in the Universe… Why… How…" His only eye that he had now rolled on the majestic form of the blazing Super Saiya-jin who was now standing right in front of him. Fear shone in that single azure orb.

"Surely, siblings are troublesome, meddlesome and dreadfully pissing off… However, a petty artificially created being like you who doesn't hesitate in the slightest before hurting a sibling in an eternity too early to try to take me on." His eyes narrowed into tight, contempt-filled slits as he looked down on the bleeding android. Raising a solitary hand right in front of Juunanagou's chest, Vegeta said calmly; "Say Freeza I said hi and that I'm not thinking of joining him in hell for some few centuries now." His gaze didn't waver for a moment; his resolve didn't flag for a moment.

Bulma's fists clenched tightly for a second as she observed closely from her safe spot on the front porch of the mansion the whole thing. She had never been a person who liked to see violence… She had always been a pacifist, a friendly person… but that bastard had wiped out everything that made her what she was… Her perky mother, her brainy father, her loving husband whose feelings she had never managed to return, her doting subjects and friends and now he was trying to take Vegeta's life as well… He had to die because he had stepped over a boundary he shouldn't have…!

"Big… Bang… _Attack_!" Vegeta shouted madly, a huge amount of ki exploding from his outstretched hand, which wiped out Juunanagou in the blink of an eye. There was only one thing that registered in the mechanical human's brain before he dissolved into nothingness…

_What unpleasant eyes…_

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

_AN: Okay, I don't know what you think about the chapter, but I'm kind of proud of it, quite frankly. I dedicate this chapter to my faithful readers who still haven't forgotten me, after such a long absence too—**daisy31**, **bebex2xsweet**,** mooglechick**, **Dbzfanjess**, **Kataan**, and **Priestess of Passion**. I hope that you enjoyed it and that you'll stick with me until it's done. Thanks in advance!_

_**EDIT:** If even one_ more of you so much as thinks of pestering me about continuing to write, I am going to go ballistic and delete both stories. You should know better than to try to order an author around. It doesn't work that way and all you achieve by doing that is making yourself hateful to that author. I write what I want when I want to. If I ever get the DBZ muse again, I'm going to finish this. And even if I don't, you'll get over it. Just don't do it at the price of my wrecked nerve cells, 'kay?


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